What Darkness Brings
by NightElfCrawler
Summary: Prequel to Complications of Life. Sometimes it takes the most dire of circumstances to bring friends together.
1. Chapter 1

What Darkness Brings

(A Complications of Life side story)

By: Nightelfcrawler

_Disclaimer: I do not own, merely covet adoringly._

_Authors' note: This is a prequel leading up to events in Complications of Life. You needn't read it first, they can be read in either order if you prefer. _

_**Warnings: This is a slash story, both with back history of violence and forcible M/M, as well as complications thereof and pursuant romance. You have been warned.**_

**Chapter One**

Life really wasn't too bad, he honestly couldn't complain. Compared to what it COULD have been, given the state of the universe at the time. Granted, half of his lab was in disarray, his ship badly in need of several key repairs and upgrades, and this planet he'd chosen to orbit wasn't the most INTERESTING place to conduct his research, still… it could be worse.

Skyfire leaned back in his chair, kicking his over-sized feet up onto the large table across from him which groaned in protest at the weight added to it. A piece of dirt fell off of his treds and landed with a sick 'plop' on the surface of the desk, making him wrinkle his nose with disgust. Sure, he wasn't as tidy as he wished he could be, but he usually did his best not to contaminate his work surfaces with 'samples' from the planets he would occasionally visit. With a sigh, he shuttered his optics and leaned his head back, listening to the steady hum of the fans cycling heat through the ship. It was as quiet as it ever got. No matter where he went within the small ship he could still hear some kind of noises, whether it was the heat fans, the steady hum of broken cables lighting the corridor, or pumps of the fuel system kicking in to keep the ship running. But yet, it was reassuring. Skyfire had the sneaking paranoid suspicion that if it were ever completely silent, he would go mad from the silence. It was a reassuring presence to hear some kind of sound while in his solitude.

Lazily, he poked a button on the command console, watching as the scans popped up with their usual empty maps. Nothing there, just as there had been for the last hundreds of cycles. Big surprise.

Skyfire punched the scans off, pushing himself forward in the chair to land with a heavy thump on the ships' deck before he pulled his bulk upright. There were times when being so large was handy. However, with day to day activities, it was most inconvenient to have to stoop his head any time he entered or exited a room. He had bought the ship off a rather disgruntled scientist who had been peddling it to make money to pay off debts. Unfortunately the ship had been designed for normal-sized mechs, not over-sized ones like himself. He was just thankful at least the rooms were large enough for him to stand upright, albeit with very little clearance. His wings often bumped into things they shouldn't, but he was at least able to fold them back so they didn't protrude as much as some of his other winged brethren. He left the bumping to his helm, mostly.

Moving back through the ship, he exited the control room and entered the lab in the middle of the vessel. An assortment of tables with everything from chemical kits to microscopes and labeled slides sat cluttering their surfaces. A half-constructed pile of junk took over an entire back wall, where cubbies full of odds and ends sat filled to the brim. It was a mess, though organized to his mind. He smiled a little, as he sat down before a half-constructed piece of equipment and began to tinker with it. There was something reassuring about doing simple things like this. Some days he preferred to skim the surface of the planets, investigating life-forms and studying samples, other days he enjoyed tackling something more hands-on. Today, his processor seemed distracted for some reason. He kept picking over details of his life, wondering if things might have been different if he'd chosen another path. He was never one to regret his choices, but he did doubt and mull over them constantly. It was one of his failings. He always thought too much. His partner had always mocked him for over analyzing everything, but it was this failing that had driven him to science in the first place. He had been built for doing placid boring work, shutting supplies back and forth without question, but somewhere along the way he developed the need to think while doing his job. He had done very well in the fields of science, despite being not designed for this kind of thing. But then, his partner hadn't been programmed for that either, and he had done just as well… or had, rather.

Skyfire sighed, rubbing his face as he dropped all pretext of trying to be interested in the work before him. "Great." He muttered to himself. "Go and ruin your own mood, genius." Why was it every time he reflected, he ended up focusing back on that insufferable, irritating, know-it-all, neat-freak? Was it regret? Perhaps a smidge, but he knew there was nothing he could have done to change the outcome. He just wished that he'd had another chance before he'd had to flee into hiding with the rest of Cybertron as the war raged on. But then, he wished for a lot of things.

A beeping noise brought him out of his reverie. Strange… that sounded like a proximity alarm… but he hadn't heard the long-range sensors go off yet…. Puzzled, Skyfire rose to his feet and swiftly moved to the command room, squeezing his bulk into the rather over-strained chair to stare at the display. A blip… no, two blips, were moving rapidly towards the ship, having appeared out of nowhere. Alarmed, he slammed his fist down on the shields, and let out a very un-characteristic swear when they didn't ignite. A low-power warning flashed on the console telling him he didn't have enough power to raise the shields. Alarmed, he moved to the window. "Please not another meteor." He muttered, peering into the endless darkness of space, trying to see what it was that was approaching.

He almost didn't see them. It was just a small distortion of light against the darkness, but as it came closer he saw that the darkness manifested into a the shape of a mech… two mechs. In the shadow of the sun, he couldn't make out what build they were, but there was no mistaking the glowing red lights from their eyes as they slowed upon nearing the ship. "Not so fast." Skyfire muttered, slamming his fist into a panel nearby. Instantly, brilliant blinding light flooded all around the ship, causing the two to flinch, turning away from the window at the sudden brilliance, and giving him a good look at who they were. He was therefore a bit surprised to notice that he recognized them vaguely. He frowned, wondering what on Cybertron brought THOSE two here. "Stay where you are." He commanded, pushing the comm. next to the entry hatch which he had yet to unseal. "What do you want?"

"You're Skyfire, right?" Came a deep voice from the mech with dark blue coloring. Red optics squinted past the bright light, trying to identify the silhouette of the mech watching them.

"I won't repeat again, what do you want."

"Oh for frag's sake." The black one growled, and with a flash of black light and purple electricity, he was suddenly gone.

Skyfire tensed, optics widening the moment he heard a strange displacement of air and sound behind him, turned and was met with a punch to the face. Staggering backwards at the blow that had taken him by surprise, Skyfire groaned as he heard the catch to the airlock being released beside him, and managed to open his optics in time to see a black and violet body block his vision, bending over and offering a hand to the blue Seeker and helping him into the ship. "Did you HAVE to do that?"

"Well you were being difficult." Was the smug reply. "It's not MY fault you don't apply baffles to this little hunk of junk of yours."

"'Warp, lay off." Growled the blue mech who turned to face Skyfire as he stared up at them both from his rather undignified position on the floor. "We have more important things to discuss."

"And WHAT is so important, Thundercracker?" Skyfire said slowly, trying his best to remain calm. "What brings two of Megatron's elite all the way out here to break into my lab?" He frowned, staring up at the two pairs of crimson optics staring him down from their large forms blocking the entire hallway before him.

"We need your help."

"Oh no." Skyfire said firmly. "I know what 'help' means in your terms. You can tell your wing leader that if he has anything to say to me, he can say it to my face instead of sending his thugs to beat it into my processors."

The two of them exchanged glances, their gazes darkening. "You want to have him ask you, you're going to have a hard time of it." Thundercracker said coldly, and it was only then that he stepped aside, as did Skywarp, and Skyfire's optics dropped down to something he'd missed them bringing in.

His spark went suddenly cold.

What lay on the ground was not even recognizable. It was only due to their words, due to the fact that his spark ached when he looked at it, and due to the fact that he somehow KNEW… that he recognized the pile of scrap as his former partner and once-friend. The armor had been twisted and ripped apart, most of it missing or so completely mangled that it was not even close to it's original shape. Limbs were twisted into strange positions, and the one thing to which had been his pride and joy were simply gone, chunks of metal and wires jutting out from a broken back as the only remnant of the wings that had been mounted there at one point. There was no recognizing the face, as the mangled visage was in several pieces revealing critical systems and the delicate wiring of the neural processor showing through the cracks. The optics were missing entirely, and the entire lower section of the jaw and throat seemed to be also missing.

Skyfire desperately fought the urge to be violently ill. "W…what happened." He croaked out, unable to tear his eyes away.

The two seekers exchanged identical glances before looking back his way. "You're kidding, right?" Skywarp asked bitterly. "Do you EVER read the news?"

"Er…" Skyfire forced his gaze up from the mangled remains of his friend to stare blankly at them. "Not really."

Thundercracker shot Skywarp a 'you'd better let me handle this' glare and then addressed him. "Did you at least hear about the rebellion? Three solar cycles ago?" Skyfire shook his head mutely. "Well there was one, and it failed. This is the result." He gestured almost flippantly at the pile of scrap on the deck.

Skyfire frowned, slowly pulling himself into a kneeling position and carefully bending over the mangled remains of his friend. "….so why did you bring him to me?"

"He's not dead."

"What?!" A jolt of electricity seemed to send his spark a kick-start. At first glance he'd thought there had been no possible way anyone could be alive after that, and the realization that he WAS still alive was enough to kick him out of his state of shock. "Well don't just stand there, help me!" He barked sharply, bending down and carefully gathering the broken body into his arms. The two seekers moved swiftly, picking up the loose limbs that sagged out of his grasp and moving with him back to the lab, where Thundercracker cleared the table in the center with one swipe of his hand. Skyfire didn't even flinch at the destruction of his research, but slipped the body down onto the surface as carefully as he could, straightening the limbs gently. "Details. Now." He demanded. "When was the last time he had energon? How long ago did this happen, and what else do you know?" He didn't wait for their responses before grabbing an emergency energon supply and beginning to hook it up to a feed.

"It happened a while ago, Skyfire." Was the rather calm reply, far too stoic for the big mech's liking, as he turned to stare darkly at Thundercracker with an accusing glare. "Will you calm down for a moment? He's not kicked the bucket yet, he's not going to in the next breem, so slow down."

Skyfire frowned, but set the feed line down and forced his racing spark to calm. "Ok… tell me then."

"This happened a while ago, ok? For the last year he's been rotting in a cell. Megatron just left him there and forgot about him. He still doesn't know we broke him out, and we have to get back quick before he suspects something. Warp left a pretty good duplicate there, but there's no telling how close of a look anyone will get if someone just happens to get a glimpse. Right now, we need you to promise us something."

Skyfire frowned. "What?"

"No matter what he says, or what he does, for Primus' sake, DON'T let him come back this time." Thundercracker pressed firmly, pushing his hands flat on the table to lean forward, staring directly at the large mech. "If he comes back, he's going to end up in pieces scattered across the fraggin' galaxy. Keep him AWAY." Skyfire frowned, but nodded in agreement. "There's one more thing." Thundercracker said firmly, his voice lowering it's volume though Skyfire didn't see why as the way Skywarp was staring with that unnerving piercing gaze of his he obviously knew what was going to be discussed. "Skyfire…" Thundercracker pressed quietly, his glowing optics intense. "You have to open up his spark chamber, and get that second spark out of him. It's like a parasite, and it's killing him."

Skyfire blinked, as his spark ran cold. "Primus." He whispered faintly, as the implications slammed into his processor like the weight of a building. "Are you saying that….?"

"Just do it, ok?" Thundercracker straightened and glanced back to Skywarp who nodded. "We need to go before we're missed. It took us far too long to get out here, we need to make time getting back." He paused for a moment, then glanced down at the broken form of their air commander. "Just… promise us when he's awake you'll let us know somehow?"

"I've got your comms." Skyfire murmured. "I promise you'll know as soon as possible."

"Good." Thundercracker straightened, and then turned, heading for the airlock.

Skywarp lifted his optics to meet Skyfire's, and gave a tight grimace. "Take care of him, k? He's an annoying, insufferable freak of nature… but…."

Skyfire smiled faintly and put a large hand on the black seeker's shoulder. "I'll do my best."

Skywarp glanced once more over at the figure of their wing leader, before following his wing mate out the airlock. Skyfire closed the hatch after them, watching their engines burn brightly through the darkness before they winked out as Skywarp opened a rift.

Skyfire shuttered his optics before turning and returning in silence to the side of his friend.

_How the mighty have fallen_, he couldn't help but think as he stared at the offline form of his friend, once the mighty Air Commander, 2nd in command of the Decepticon forces, the name that made most cringe for various reasons: Starscream. This was NOT even a shadow of that presence, this broken shell. Skyfire shuddered as he gently turned the mech's damaged head to the side, staring at the damage. It was unbelievable that he still functioned after this. Skyfire's optics immediately roamed to the twisted chest cavity before he grimaced. There was no opening it with this amount of damage. Dutifully, he reached over for a small saw and got to work. As he worked, he did his best not to think about what he was doing, cutting his friend's chest open. It had to be done, but it wasn't a pleasant task. It took several breems for him to finally cut away enough pieces to peer within. He grimaced at the sight. Most spark chambers were spherical in shape, covered with tight protective plating that kept the spark safe within. Starscream's spark chamber was a crumpled mess, as if someone had reached in and squeezed it, compacting it. It barely looked large enough to contain a spark, as mangled as it was, but from the cracks and missing pieces, he could see light spilling forth. Indeed, through whatever miracles of miracles, his friend was still alive. Unfortunately, he didn't see any way to get a better look.

He was going to have to cut open the spark chamber.

Skyfire was no surgeon, and in fact his repair skills were very limited. While he thought that with enough time he would be able to try and reconstruct something out of the mess before him, spark chamber surgery was another matter entirely. The wrong move, the wrong cut could leak the spark out into the mech's body, overcharging it and giving the spark no safe place to rest. It would burn itself out before it could be stopped. Unfortunately, Skyfire was well aware that there was no other option. There was a reason Thundercracker and Skywarp had brought Starscream to him, Megatron had ostracized him, giving him no chance of being repaired by the Decepticons. The Autobots would be just as eager to mount his head on their walls, and no neutral in their right mind would ever accept enough credits to repair the former Decepticon Air Commander. Starscream literally had no where else to go, no one else could, would, help him. He was the only chance that he had to live again.

He slowly reached in, and carefully began to make small precise cuts in the spark chamber. It was excruciatingly difficult, painstakingly so, but he did not hesitate. Several breems later, he carefully removed the square cut panel, revealing bright light to the air. Though there was very little space within, glowing strongly, if dimmer than usual, was a bright golden spark with a strange nova circling it in the form of a double helix. Though this was very unusual for sparks, it was something that Skyfire was familiar with. He knew of his partner's strange uniqueness, and after studying it's flickering pattern, turned his attention to the other occupant of the small space. It was a fraction of the size of it's parent, and a dull dirty white color rather than a bright gold, but it was there. It pulsed with it's own rhythm, and as he watched he noticed that there was a faint aura around it, similar to it's sire's…. it was possible whatever uniqueness Starscream had may have been passed on to the sparkling as well. "Hello there, little one." Skyfire said quietly, staring at it with a gentle smile on his face. "You've been quite hungry haven't you? Lets see if we can't help you out a bit, shall we?"

Abandoning the pair of sparks, Skyfire walked back to his storage area and began to search for a small box he knew was buried at the bottom of the piles of junk. He'd nearly forgotten about it, nearly forgotten that it existed at all, but now he was very glad that he had kept it. Tossing other boxes aside, he finally spotted the item of interest and pulled it free of it's dusty pile beneath the years of collections he'd acquired. It was small, rather dented, and bore the seal of the Science Guild, but he knew instinctively what was inside. Taking it back with him, he placed the small box on the table and opened it. Within were jumbled parts, very tiny parts. It had been one of the more treasured items he had salvaged from the Science Academy before it had shut down, something that wasn't easy to come by, and these days near impossible. It was enough parts to build a small basic mechling protoform. It was nothing special, nothing fancy, but it would do for now. He carefully began to assemble it, watching the pair of sparks off to the side as they pulsed in quiet harmonic balance, complimenting each other. "I find it strange…" He said aloud, knowing his friend had no way of hearing him at this point, but finding he needed to speak to him, as if unconsciously re-assuring him. "…that you of all mechs would be burdened with this responsibility. You who only cared for yourself and no one else, you who always scoffed at the idea of children." He shook his head lightly. "Perhaps Primus decided you needed some responsibilities to someone other than yourself." He worked in silence, tightening miniscule bolts and carefully constructing the miniature protoform that easily lay in his palm. Finally, he sat back, exhausted and studied his work. It was very basic, very simple, but it was complete, save for one element. He heated a dish, and poured in the crystallized metal fragments, watching as they slowly melted into a shimmering alloy, and then carefully placed the protoform in it's double mold, sealing it before he poured the metal in. He watched as it formed small armor plating, covering the skeletal form in a more recognizable form of a complete mech. Once the metal had cooled and hardened, he removed the molds and studied the tiny form. It was cute, he supposed, in that tiny-nopersonality kind of way. Basic protoforms were good for one thing, housing the newborn sparks of their offspring, allowing it to adapt and mold the liquid organic metal he had used for it's armor, shaping it into what it would become. It would grow, expand, and adapt now, using this small fragile shell as a building block. It's own nanites would build new structures, expand the skeletal building blocks and allow it to become more than it was now.

Skyfire turned from the tiny body, scooping it into his palm and then approaching the broken shell of his friend, bending over to study the two sparks before reaching down with a small scooping tool and caught the tiny spark, pulling it gently free of it's parent. It came free reluctantly, strands of energy still trying to wean life from it's creator, starved for fuel. He smiled. "Easy there, you'll have all you can hold." He re-assured it, carefully lowering it into the open tiny spark chamber within the mechling protoform, and dropped it in, shutting the seals quickly before it could escape. Immediately, the organic armor began to glow faintly as it was charged by the spark now live within it. Skyfire carefully walked over to his workbench and set the sparkling down, then gently inserted a tiny needle into it's neck where it's primary fuel line was, and started the energon feed. Nearly immediately there was an obvious change. The little sparkling's body began to glow brighter, the energon and spark charging the organic armor, initializing the organic nanites to begin their work, as it's transition was finished. After a few moments watching the amazing process as the sparkling took host of it's new body, Skyfire turned and left it to its' refueling, turning his attention now to his second patient.

Starscream was a mess.

There was no easier way to describe it. Skyfire stared at the scrap pile, wondering where on Cybertron he was supposed to start. Now that the sparkling was safe, he had to first ensure that Starscream would remain functioning, which meant he needed to see how badly damaged the fuel lines were before he could start him on an energon feed. Sighing, he carefully positioned all of Starscream's limbs into a straight line. There were severe breaks there, most of the limbs were only hanging on due to a few wires, or a damaged joint, but were completely useless. He carefully traced each energon line, capping off the feeds to the limbs, and focusing on simply fixing the lines that led to his critical systems. It was difficult work, and something that did not go by quickly. Many of the lines were buried beneath ruined armor, resulting in the need for him to just simply remove the armor. It was useless in this shape anyway, and he would need to completely re-build it, so it was best in the long run. He would have no need for armor while being repaired anyway, so he had no qualms in removing it. When he was finished, a pile nearly as high as the table sat to the side, and his friend looked incredibly small and vulnerable with just his protoform, basic skeletal structure along with his wiring and piping. Even the weapon that normally inhabited his arm had been removed, probably during his captivity. There was evidence of snapped struts and torn wires that had clearly belonged to the removed device. Once he was satisfied that all the energon lines were repaired and whole, he jabbed Starscream's main line with a needle and started the feed, watching to make sure there were no other leaks. There were a few he hadn't caught, and he worked quickly to patch them up, trusting that his poor job would hold at least until Starscream's self-repair system could attack the affected area. As he watched the read-outs, slowly the critical lights began to turn green, as the energon circulated and began to power systems that had long since shut down. His friend's body had been in such a state that everything, even the self-repair, had been shut off, leaving only the spark to survive, in whatever strange manner that allowed it to do so.

Now that he was out of immediate danger, Skyfire sat down on one of his stools, and sighed, running a grimy hand across his face. "You are hopeless." He told the silent figure. "No matter where you go, it seems trouble follows you." He leaned forward and lightly traced his fingers over the jagged points of the mask that covered his face. It was so torn and ruined, that he could actually see Starscream's real face beneath… and a thought occurred to him. Carefully, he felt around the back of his helmet, searching for the catches until he found them, and pressed down. With a click, the helm released from it's catches, and he carefully pulled it away from his face. As he did so, several pieces disconnected from the thin tears that had been the only thing holding them on, falling to the ground with a loud clatter. Skyfire set the helm aside, and studied his friends' face.

Oddly… it looked no different than his memory banks recalled from their youth. Though his face appeared older, a bit more worn and tired, it was a familiar shock to his system that he had not had the pleasure of getting the last time he had seen his friend, completely changed from the mech he had been before. No, this was a familiar face. Skyfire lightly ran a finger down a thick silver seam that ran from Starscream's left temple across his face clear down into his shoulder. It had been healed over, and appeared to be an older wound, one caused perhaps at the beginning of his captivity, but it was stark and strong against his dark grey face. Skyfire knew instantly this would be a wound that his friend would carry for the rest of his life. No amount of self-repair could completely hide it, though it likely would fade with time, it would stay there as a stark reminder of his experience. A battle scar… a constant reminder. He sighed and lightly turned Starscream's head, lifting it so he could study the back where his neural processor sat now exposed to the air. Though some of the exterior wiring closest to the surface appeared to have been damaged in the past, nothing appeared greatly damaged. It seemed that his thick helm had protected his processor as it should have, and with all hope there would be no damage to his thought processes or intellect. Skyfire was a bit concerned that the back appeared to be dented in a little, but nothing appeared out of place, and as he held the head carefully, a few lights began to blink on one-by-one, and he smiled at the sign of life returning, gently lowering his head back down. "You my friend, are lucky in more ways than one to be alive." He murmured, staring at the silent expressionless face. The empty optic sockets just stared back at him in silence. He sighed, lightly tugging on a few of the wires protruding from the sockets, and studying the ends. Most of them were still plugged in, though there were a few that were missing. He fumbled around for some proper wires, and then carefully began to poke and prod around within each eye socket, finding the right place to attach the new wires, glad that there appeared to be no damage to the actual plugs within. That would have been a devastating issue that he would not have been able to fix here. Several hours passed, and Skyfire worked in silence, attaching the wires, wondering what on Cybertron he was thinking by agreeing to this at all.

Something beeped off to his right. He glanced over at the display, and blinked, seeing read-outs begin to scroll down the screen and glanced down sharply at his patient, quickly withdrawing his tools just in time, as Starscream's head jerked, and his body lurched, as if in an attempt to sit up, but there were so many lacking connections all he could do was twitch. Skyfire quickly put a heavy reassuring hand on his shoulders, keeping him from moving. "Easy there." He soothed softly. "Don't struggle about, you'll only do more damage to yourself." To his dismay, this only seemed to ignite more struggling, as Starscream's head twitched back and forth, struggling in protest. "Starscream!" He insisted, his grip tightening, which only seemed to make it worse. "Stop!" He demanded, before something occurred to him. It was very likely that the mech was not only blind, but deaf. He had no idea where he was, nor who was holding him, and given his experience he probably thought he was somewhere undesirable. Frowning, Skyfire pressed both his hands flat against Starscream's slim shoulders, and calmed himself, speaking loudly, letting the reverberations of his words travel down his hands, into the mech's body beneath him. "Starscream. Calm down. You are in no danger here. You are safe." He spoke calmly, lightly giving the mech a small squeeze on the shoulder, urging him silently to stop fighting him. In truth, he didn't expect this to work, as there was no way that the mech could hear what he was saying merely from vibrations in his bones, however as he spoke, Starscream's struggling eased, and then finally stopped, though his head moved to and fro, as if desperate to see where he was, frustrated he could not. Skyfire gently released the pressure on the mech's shoulders, leaning back but remaining close in case he began to struggle again. When he did not, he sighed and grabbed another tool. "Ok… first things first… let's see what's wrong with your audio receptors."

He gently took Starscream by the chin, and tilted his head to the side, not so much to be uncomfortable, but firm enough to keep him still as he carefully prodded at the nodes attached to the audio receptors. The one on his right side appeared to be completely crushed. Skyfire winced, picking at the pieces, and finally prying them out. He would have to install a new one there. Tilting Starscream's head the other way, he studied the other one, and was relieved to see it was not as badly damaged. It appeared to have been dislodged, some wiring had been damaged, but it was easily fixable. Carefully picking at the damage, he stripped the fried wires, linked them with fresh ones, and began to re-attach them to their proper place. There was a slight fizzle as the last one was connected, followed by an audible screech that made Starscream flinch beneath him. "Sorry, sorry." He mumbled, doing a quick adjustment on the level. "There… can you at least hear me now?"

There was a long pause, in which Starscream remained silent, still and tense, obviously a little startled knowing who it was who was his medic. However, after several seconds, his head dipped slightly in a small nod. "Good." Skyfire said, sighing as he leaned back, staring at his friend as he turned his head slightly towards the area in which he perceived him to be. "At least that solves one problem then. I imagine you are wondering what's going on." He mused, and saw a minute change in Starscream's face, indicating a slight frown. "Your wing mates rescued you from your… situation, brought you here to me. I realize I may be the last person you wished to run into again, but given your situation, I don't think you have much options here." He studied Starscream's face intently, watching as he frowned slightly, taking in his words. For a moment, Skyfire wondered what was going through his mind. Was he thinking he would rather kill him? Was he bitter that it was him here? Was he grateful? Starscream surprised him, by turning his head and positioning it back to the ceiling. Skyfire frowned, uncertain how to take that gesture, but sighed, and moved forward to the diagnostics screen, staring at the read-outs as he pulled up his communications' system. "It seems most of your internal relays are in good shape, but your data processor is giving me an error. I'll take a look and see what kind of damage we're looking at…" He tilted Starscream's head to the side, and pulled out the data chip, turning it over. "Looks ok… a few relays appear burnt, I'll fix those and re-install it. The rest will be up to you then." He glanced down at his friend, who hadn't moved, and sighed as he moved to his bench and started welding. "You little one is safe, by the way."

He caught the flinch. Starscream tried to hide it, but there were a myriad of emotions that crossed over his damaged face. It was impossible to read them all at once, but Skyfire knew he'd hit a nerve, and honestly couldn't blame him. "I've placed it in it's own body. It's powering up now. It should be awake soon." Starscream's face seemed to relax visibly, and Skyfire smiled secretively, seeing the tension leave his friend. "Call me a sentimental fool if you like, but I think it's admirable that you kept it alive, sacrificing your own spark to help it live. I think that's what made your wing mates act… finding out what you were doing. They were both worried about you, and made sure I knew about the sparkling right away." His gaze shifted to the tiny figure, and he paused as he saw the energon feed had stopped. "Speaking of which… seems it's full." He took the feed out, and as he did so, the small body quivered before miniature optics flickered on. White light shone out from behind the tiny facets, and they blinked, focusing up on the giant hovering above it with a puzzled blink. "Hello little one." Skyfire rumbled, only to receive a sudden burst of clicks and chirps as the sparkling reached out, a low whine in it's newly developed vocal processor. Skyfire instinctively knew what it wanted, scooped it gently into his hand, and turned back to his friend, lowering the tiny creature down and dropping it right on top of Stasrscream's chest. The little sparkling squealed in it's nonsensical tongue, and curled up on top of it's creator, a soft chirruping sound of contentment escaping it's vocal processor before it scrambled down inside the prone mech, curling up in a comfortable spot near Starscream's open spark chamber, a soft rumbling chirrup of happiness filling the small space as it made itself comfortable inside it's creator's chassis. "It knows you." Skyfire said gently, smiling as he could still see it's tiny silver form curled up among Starscream's damaged struts.

Another strange expression crossed Starscream's face, and Skyfire took that chance to re-insert the data chip, watching as the diagnostics showed yellow now. "Ok… set your self-repair to fix that so we can at least talk through your comm." He watched as the light began to blink, indicating Starscream had done as he asked. "Good." He patted his shoulder lightly, pausing as he stared down at the mech. "It's been a long day for me… and you should focus on repairing anything you can internally that I can't reach. I need to rest. I'll continue after a recharge. In the meantime, don't strain yourself, ok?"

He left his friend laying on the bench after making sure he'd slipped back into recharge, before he quietly closed the door and slipped into his back chambers, sighing with exhaustion as he sunk down on his recharge berth. He wasn't even sure what hour it was. It felt like he'd been working for cycles, and a quick check to his chronometer told him that he HAD been working straight through several well-needed recharge cycles. No wonder he was tired. But even as he grabbed a cube of energon and lay back to re-fuel as he relaxed, he couldn't shut his mind down. He had so many questions, not just about what he was going to do with Starscream once he was more coherent, but what this meant for the both of them. Would Megatron come for him, or would he simply ignore him? Would the Decepticons seek them out at all? And more importantly… what was Starscream going to do?

Skyfire pinched his nose, leaning back with a heavy sigh, his bulk settling down in the recharge berth as best it could as he shuttered his optics. It seemed so long ago that he had been getting slagged in a bar, celebrating their graduation from the Cybertron Science Academy. Starscream had gotten him so rip-roaring slagged that he hadn't walked straight for a week. The seeker himself had forsworn ever drinking high-grade again after that, and for good reason. That night… Skyfire felt his systems heat up with the memory. Well, both of them had been a bit out of line. They had never talked about it, as it seemed better to just move on and pretend it hadn't happened. Yet…

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. His heat fans were trying to kick on, and he held them back, letting his coolant take charge as he settled down. He shouldn't think of Starscream as if he were the same mech that he'd known before the war. He had changed, and dramatically so in more ways than one. They had once been friends, close friends… but that had changed after the failed expedition in which he had nearly lost his life. As it was, a good part of it had been stolen from him, as being frozen in ice for several solar cycles had been more than enough to change things. The timing had been less than ideal, with everything. Merely a few orns after he'd lost contact with everyone, apparently the initial rebellions had started, the system had started failing, and the government panicked. The Academy had been shut down, the entire system placed in a state of martial law, and everyone who was able had been trained to fight the rising flood of dissenters. Shortly after the Autobots and Decepticons had started their war, tearing the planet apart. Skyfire had missed most of the lead-up, only being rescued from his icy prison by chance after a group of mechs fleeing the war had stumbled across him after finding a hidden cache of energon nearby. If it hadn't been for them, he probably would have still been there, rotting away forgotten. In some cases, he would have preferred that. At least then he would have been oblivious to the war… oblivious to the monster his friend had become.

When he'd first uncovered what had happened to Starscream, he hadn't believed it. It was crazy, after all, to think that his good friend, a rational brilliant and quite logical mind, had decided to go join the group of rebel fighters in uprooting everything that Cybertron stood for. He thought perhaps it was a mistake, a joke, someone using his name as some kind of prank. After all, the fierce and dangerous looking silver angel of death looked NOTHING like the proud red, white blue and silver mech of his memory. The design wasn't even close, there hadn't been even a shred of his friend left in that monster. But when they had met during some fateful encounter, they had met gazes, and in that moment he knew the sad truth: his Starscream was gone, this red-eyed monster was a poor shadow of what he had once been.

That encounter had been less than pleasant. Skyfire had been so shocked at the brash, rude and violent words that had spewed from his former friends' mouth, urging him to join them, to fight to put an end to the injustice, to become glorified as heroes… they had parted with their limbs intact, but their memories shattered. He had the feeling that if it hadn't been HIM who Starscream had spoken to, he would have been blown into scrap and left for the scavengers. The only reason he'd escaped without a blemish was because somewhere deep within that horrible creature, a fragment of the mech he once knew still lived.

He'd separated himself from everything after that. He had no other friends, he'd always been a quiet recluse. It had been Starscream who had constantly nagged him to get out more, to meet people and socialize with the other scientists, when he'd much rather have been studying or reading in his room. It had been Starscream that had taught him to not take everything so seriously, to enjoy oneself now and then. And it had been Starscream that had taught him the value of a friendship, despite putting him through multiple scoldings, insults and lessons in humility. He had nothing else to really tie him to the ruins of their world, and as such he had taken what little credits he had to his name, bought the little ship, and set out on his own to pursue his own research away from the tides of the war.

He hadn't even been back there since.

It was hard then to look impassively at the broken shell of the once-fierce warrior that lay on his lab table and see anything more than an enemy. For so long the name Starscream had been a bitter taste in his mouth, the object of anger and resentment, destroyer of once treasured times in his life. Though he had left before he'd had to witness half of what had been done to their world, he knew how many lives must have ended at his former friend's hands, how many mechs he had killed. There was no ignoring that, no forgetting it. But the real question was would this stand between them as it had for the last hundreds of cycles? What kind of mech would Starscream reveal himself to be when he had nothing left of his former life to tie him there? Would he change? Would he have changed too much to be anything but an enemy?

These thoughts plagued him long into the night, and it was a very long time before he finally slipped into a fitful recharge.


	2. Chapter 2

What Darkness Brings

(A Complications of Life side story)

By: Nightelfcrawler

_Disclaimer: I do not own, merely covet adoringly._

_Authors' note: This is a prequel leading up to events in Complications of Life. You needn't read it first, they can be read in either order if you prefer. _

_**Warnings: This is a slash story, both with back history of violence and forcible M/M, as well as complications thereof and pursuant romance. You have been warned.**_

**Chapter Two**

Skyfire entered the makeshift medical ward after his rest, only to find the most peculiar sight.

Starscream hadn't moved, and was laying as he'd left him, but the little sparkling appeared to have gotten bored sitting still, and was currently sitting atop it's creator's chest, chewing on a piece of loose cable that appeared quite frayed. Skyfire wanted to laugh, especially given the grimace on Starscream's face that told him it HAD to be uncomfortable. "Oh dear… no, no, little one. That's not for chewing." He scooped the sparkling up, who chattered at him angrily at being removed from it's toy. "Here… how about some breakfast?" He asked, taking a cube of energon and emptying half the contents into a small bowl, setting it before the sparkling. Instantly it chattered happily and began to slurp it up, letting Skyfire return to Starscream's side and study the damage. "Well it's not that bad." He said, earning himself a cross scowl from the mech on the table. "Ok, I'm sure it didn't feel like a light tickle. I can tell that one's going to be trouble." He stripped the wire, and carefully re-attached it before turning and studying his friend. "How goes the data-chip repair?"

A burst of static lit his comm. up, and he smiled. "Well that's better than before. Keep working on it. I'm going to start constructing some new optics for you. In the meantime…" he hooked up another energon cube to Starscream's feed, letting the glowing blue liquid flow freely, then sat down next to the sparkling and began to pull pieces from his bins. "It shouldn't be too hard to make a new pair for you." He said conversationally, a little pleased that he actually had someone to TALK to now, his doubts temporarily forgotten so he could focus on the task at hand. "Primus knows I've had to replace one or two of my own through the vorns. The only catch is, I don't have any red crystals I'm afraid." He glanced over at Starscream, but his friend's expression was a mask of calm. "I'm sorry, they don't exactly grow on trees. I could offer you blue…" A flash of disgust made Skyfire smile. "Or not…" He chuckled, leaning forward and poking through the tray, selecting two crystals and beginning to construct the optics. He watched the little sparkling gorge happily on the energon until it was full. He then took the bowl away and returned it to perch atop it's creator. "Don't pull on his wires, now." He warned, though he knew the little one had no clue what he was saying. Nonetheless, it seemed to behave, amusing itself by peering down at it's creator's face and poking about. Skyfire kept a close watch on it to ensure it didn't cause any more trouble, but it seemed happy to amuse itself playing with it's reflection on Starscream's broken canopy. It was amazing how such a cold-hearted mech could have produced something so brilliant as a child. Though it was far too young to tell, Skyfire had the inkling from how it seemed curious about everything that it had inherited it's creator's intelligence and desire to seek out answers. He wondered idly if it would be a seeker model, or something else, only time would tell.

As he finished his work, he turned and leaned over Starscream, optics in hand. "All right, we're ready. Hold still and let's hope this works." His patient remained still as asked, and Skyfire began to hook up each wire into the node, which was a mess to begin with, and finally began to tuck the knot back into the recess before pushing the optic in all the way until it clicked and latched into place. Immediately it lit up. Bright violet light spilled forth from the new optic, and Skyfire watched as Starscream started his calibrations, the rotors zooming out, then focusing back in, moving from side to side, before finally shifting to focus directly up at him with a shutter of the lens. "Better?" Skyfire asked, smiling down at him. Starscream didn't reply, though his gaze did roam around until it locked on the small sparkling watching with bright optics. The little one stood up and scrambled over, peering at his face before reaching up and tapping the optic lens, chattering incoherently. Skyfire chuckled. "It must like the color. I'm sorry it's all I had, got them second-hand since they were a flawed by-product of a color mix-up. Better than nothing I suppose. We can replace them later when I go to do some more trade exchanges if you insist." He murmured, watching as the little one put it's hands flat on Starscream's optic, staring in with curiosity. "It needs a name, you know. I'm not sure if you've picked one yet… if not, you might want to think on it." Starscream shuttered his one optic briefly, which only served to further interest the little one, as it's own optics widened before it squeezed it's face down, trying to look inside. Skyfire just chuckled, as he set about installing the other optic. "It's got your curiosity." He remarked, amused. When he was finished, he leaned back as Starscream calibrated the 2nd optic. "Well, now that's done, let's see about restoring those servos to your limbs."

_Why?_

Skyfire blinked, and turned his attention back to Starscream at the sudden data-burst. "Why what?" He asked smiling that his friend was finally able to respond, sitting slowly back down beside him as Starscream turned his head to regard him.

_Why are you helping me?_ The tone was flat, not quite bitter, but borderline near it.

Skyfire stared down at him, frowning slightly in thought. It was actually a good question, and one which he had no ready answer, even after his thoughts from the night before. "Do I need a reason?" He finally said. "I can't exactly turn away someone who's bleeding on my doorstep."

_You could have. No one would have blamed you if you did. Many would have applauded you._

Skyfire grimaced and fixed him with a stern look. "Perhaps. But you know me better than that. Just because you nearly blew a hole in my chassis the last time we met doesn't mean I'm going to let you die when I could have helped. My conscience wouldn't allow that."

Starscream's optics narrowed, his face pulling into a frown. _Why would you risk your life for an enemy?_

Skyfire sighed. "Are you an enemy, Starscream? I know you didn't like it when I told you I'd not join your little rebellion… but I never fought against you at least. Does that make us enemies then, especially now when your own faction has ostracized you from their ranks?" Starscream looked away, his expression dark. "You almost sound as if you'd rather I had left you to die."

_It would have been for the best._

Skyfire felt a jolt run down his spine, and scowled with rare anger as he fixed his friend with a firm stare. "Are you serious? You… of all mechs… have a desire to embrace death?" Starscream avoided his gaze, staring up at the ceiling with a blank look. Skyfire grabbed his chin and moved his head so he had no choice but to look at him. "Starscream, talk to me."

The violet optics that tried to avoid his gaze were oddly strained, and for the briefest moment, he saw deep etched pain reflected back at him before it was replaced with a placid cold expression. _What is there left for me, Skyfire?_ Came the response at long last. _I have nowhere to go, nothing to my name. I am condemned._

Skyfire's optics hardened in barely contained anger. "And what of your sparkling?" He asked in a quiet voice. "Would you just turn your back and abandon it?"

This time, he saw the flash of pain break through Starscream's hardened guard, and Skyfire immediately regretted what he'd said as his friend tried to look away, but was unable to do so in his grip. "I'm sorry." He said quietly, putting a heavy hand on his shoulder. "I know the sparkling was… not consensual… I know what you must have gone through… I can't pretend understand it, but I know it is not easy, and I know you did everything you could to protect it, even at the cost of your own life… that was a callous thing of me to say, and I ask your forgiveness."

_You were in the right._ Came the subdued response, and Skyfire watched as the pain in his friend's optics flashed live and sharply to the surface as his composure completely broke down.

"…I … have to ask one thing." Skyfire slowly said, regretting the need to ask, but knowing it had to be done. "…does he know?"

_No._

He sighed in relief, feeling the weight of fear lift off his shoulders. "You're positive? What about the bond between creator and sparkling?"

_I hid everything from him._ Was the sullen response. _He threw me in a hole and forgot about me after …that… happened. He could care less… if he had felt the bond, if there was one at all, he would have come and taken it from me. He does not know._

Skyfire sighed in relief. "Good… as long as he doesn't know, he won't come for it." He squeezed Starscream's shoulder lightly, his blue optics soft and gentle. "I know you don't like to talk about your problems… but Starscream, no one can bear something like this in silence without it taking a severe toll… if you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen. I won't judge you."

Starscream's violet optics flickered up at him as he carefully drew his barriers back up, but Skyfire still managed to catch a brief look of surprise with a flash of gratitude reflecting back at him. Though he didn't say it, Skyfire knew this was as close to a thank you as he was going to get for the time being.

That in itself was enough to make Skyfire think. Starscream NEVER thanked anyone, he was renowned for keeping everything personal to him well hidden. Skyfire could count only a handful of times that he'd actually opened up to him before, and now was no different. He had a weight of exhaustion about him, as if he were bearing the world on his shoulders. Given what he had suffered through, Skyfire DID feel a slight amount of pity for him, but he also felt a sense of justification, as if Starscream were finally being punished for the heinous crimes he had committed. It was a poor argument, and one he felt guilt for as well thinking his friend deserved to have his livelihood taken from him by force, it was something he wouldn't wish on anyone… but still it tickled the back of his mind.

He got to work with the repairs. It was slow going, and Starscream was not good company. Half the time he was in recharge, the other half he was drugged up on painkillers as Skyfire worked. He just couldn't justify working on a mech without easing the pain of repairs, no matter what Starscream had done. He supposed it was for the best, as he filtered through the extensive damage to his frame. It wasn't just damage, there were entire parts of his body that needed to be completely rebuilt from scratch. Skyfire was not trained to be a medic, but he had done his share of studies while in the Academy, enough so he knew how to repair limbs and replace struts. He had to refer to schematics that he had on file in order to properly do the work. However, the schematics he had was not of Starscream's upgraded military schematics, but of his old Seeker model build. The military upgrades were of course classified and the honest truth was he didn't have enough supplies to rebuild the raptor-like design of his military build, nor the desire. He'd always thought it was a hideous design, and when he had told Starscream he was using his old tetra-jet build as a base, the seeker didn't protest. It worked well, since Starscream had not undergone an entire rebuild, but simply had his form upgraded, therefore the basic underlying sub-structure remained the same.

Several cycles after his arrival, Skyfire had finished patching together a complete sub-frame for him, and had re-attached his damaged limbs. It wasn't pretty, but it did the job. The rest of the sealing would be handled by Starscream's self-repair system as it solidified the soldering work and adjusted the welding. But Skyfire did notice one thing that kept his mind occupied as he had worked. Starscream was significantly more subdued than usual, post or pre-war. There were no insults, no screaming tantrums, and not even a disparaging stare. No… while he would not speak of it to the seeker, Skyfire knew his friend better than he thought. While he kept the cool calm exterior of a warrior in place, his presence virtually reeked of emotional turmoil.

"That should do it." He said, tightening the last strut as he finished work on Starscream's right leg. "You should be able to actually get up and do something rather than lay on your aft drinking all my energon supply now." That earned him an irritated glare, as Starscream flexed his ankle carefully, the cables and wires creaking with the tension of being newly installed. Skyfire sat back, placing the wrench aside as he studied the silent seeker. "But that doesn't give you liberty to start running around the ship. Now, how do you feel?"

Starscream shot him another glare, but it lacked real conviction. _Everything is insufferably stiff, but nothing hurts when I move. It is an improvement._

"Good." Skyfire said, leaning back with a sigh to stretch his sore cables. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more… The armor will have to be done separately, as I'll have to melt down what scrap is left from your old set to make new plating. And I'm sorry I can't replace your vocalizer… without the full part, even if it was badly damaged, I can't craft anything. I just don't have those kind of parts laying around, as they're not critical systems. We'll have to find a trading outpost and barter if you want me to replace it."

_It's fine._

Skyfire fixed the seeker with a stare, watching him. Ever since he had awoken, Starscream had been far more subdued than he should have been. Granted, from what he understood he had been in isolation for the last year, if not more, after having brutally assaulted in more ways than one, but could that truly have crushed the pride of the Decepticon fleet? There was more to this than that, he felt. But he was uncertain how to approach the issue without Starscream getting testy. He had known the mech well once… but he was uncertain how much of that person still remained. "How about a nice soak." He suddenly suggested, standing up swiftly. "It will help lubricate your new sub-structure, help loosen those bolts a bit, and help you relax. I also have some high-grade I've saved, we can enjoy ourselves for a bit, forget all this and just unwind, what do you say?"

Starscream lifted his optics, expression placid and cool as always, but his body stiff. For the longest time, Skyfire thought he'd refuse. After their last bout… well let's just say neither of them had indulged together after that incident. But then… he wasn't sure if his experiences in the Decepticon fleet had changed his perspective on the issue. Therefore when Starscream finally nodded in acquiesce, Skyfire smiled with a small bit of relief. "Good. Up you get then." He offered an arm. At first Starscream shied away from the assistance, the pride of his haughtiness reflecting back from his optics, but after he took one step and nearly buckled under his own weight, he accepted the aid. Skyfire led them both back into the rear chamber which contained his recharge berth, and a very large and comfortable bath that he had constructed in the cargo hold. It was one of his own needs, as his bulk just didn't fit in a shower. There wasn't a place large enough to allow him to bathe standing, so he had to craft the bath. Fortunately he'd made it large so that he could enjoy stretching out, meaning there was plenty of room for himself as well as the much smaller form of his partner.

As they walked, Skyfire became increasingly aware of how small Starscream was without his armor. Of course he knew the reason why: Seekers were built light and thin with the main part of their bulk devoted to their armor so that they could maneuver quickly, allow their speed to be their assets, and excel in aerial stunts. Still, he felt that he might accidentally crush him if he moved the wrong way. It must have been just as unnerving for Starscream himself, who had always been so confidant, so proud… and now, to be reduced to something so frail…. It was no wonder he was so quiet.

Skyfire helped him through the door, and into the pool area, letting him sit and rest as he started pouring the water into the large tub, running back to ensure the little one was soundly asleep, and to grab the high-grade he'd promised. When he returned, he found Starscream leaning with his head back against the rim of the pool, optics dim, slumped in the hot water as it poured steaming from the vats where it was stored, into the pool. He couldn't help but smile at the small display of enjoyment, but it was gone just as quickly the moment he entered, as Starscream's optics blazed to full strength, and focused on him before he lifted it back up as Skyfire carefully lowered himself into the steaming water. "Here." He offered, passing across a small cube of bright green liquid.

Starscream took it, and then gave it a scrutinizing glance. _Where on Cybertron did you get this?_

"I um… made it." Skyfire admitted a bit self-consciously. "It's not the best stuff in the world, burns like the Pit, but it gets the job done."

Starscream gave it a precursory sniff, and instantly recoiled. _What did you brew it FROM!?_

"Er, trust me you don't want to know." Skyfire coughed politely, and took a small sip of his own cube, making a face.

Starscream lifted an optic ridge, but carefully took a sip. It was difficult for him, being that Skyfire had to rebuild a new series of throat cables and re-wire his jaw, but he made no complaint as he swallowed the first gulp, and promptly nearly spit it back out. Though he could make no sound through his vocalizer, Skyfire didn't have to go far before he could imagine hearing him sputter as he seized up, staring at the cube with wide blazing violet optics. _Your cooking has not improved._

"Yeah I know." Skyfire offered sheepishly. "Bottoms up!" He did a small toast, to Starscream's demure nod, and forced a gulp down as he let himself slump into the water, sighing a bit. It felt good, the hot liquid drumming against his cables. He'd spent Primus knew how long working through entire orns trying to bring his friend back into operating order so he wasn't dependant on an energon feed to survive. The work had paid off well, as he watched Starscream slip into a contented state, relaxing in the water, and looking less haunted than he had yet. The distant look and the feel of something dark still echoed in his optics, but the pain had faded, the anger dim. It seemed his idea was paying off and helping the seeker forget some of what had happened, even for a brief moment.

_What?_ Came the sudden question, startling his thoughts. Violet optics lifted, piercing through him, but there was an edge of exhaustion there too.

"Sorry?"

_You're staring. Am I really that hideous?_

The question surprised him. Never in his life had he ever heard Starscream give in to self-pity. Pride, always, glorifying himself, always…. But self-loathing? Never. He was always self-assured, confidant in who he was. Skyfire almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity of what he was facing, but he knew that this was no laughing matter. The bitter edge to Starscream's 'voice' told him that. He had to tread carefully in how he answered, especially given the danger of the high-grade influencing their discussion. "…well… you look better now than you did." He finally admitted, trying to smile lightly. "You know how much I loathed that re-design you had. It looked like something out of the stories our creators used to tell us to keep us out of the slums… and well… anything is better than how you looked a few cycles ago. So… no, I don't find you hideous."

The answer must have surprised Starscream, for a very faint twitch pulled at his lips as he took another sip of his drink, optics lost in the steam of the water soaking into their limbs. _I don't want pity._

Skyfire had to sigh a little at that, losing his own gaze into his own drink. "I can't promise not to pity you, Starscream. You were a mess. Anyone with half a heart would feel pity for someone in your situation, no matter who it was. And I do pity you for the kind of life you chose to lead, because I think you made a mistake, and a bad one that led to a terrible path. And I do pity you for the situation you find yourself in. I know that you have nowhere you can go. I know your history, and I know how much people would pay for you, alive or dead. I also pity you for what I know you've gone through, not because I think you weak, but because I know how shattering something like that is to anyone, strong or otherwise. In fact, weaker mechs would have emerged with their intellect and wits completely destroyed, where you did not succumb. This just proves how strong you really are… However, Starscream… you can't ask me not to pity you. Because you know me better than anyone, and you know pity is part of my programming. You're just going to have to deal with that."

Starscream actually snorted at that, air bubbling out of his exhaust ports and creating bubbles in the water. _You are insufferable._

Skyfire smiled at that, relaxing a bit. "So you've always told me." He murmured, sipping his drink. "I suppose the cycles haven't changed me." His optics furtively looked up, guilt gnawing at him, knowing he was baiting him.

Starscream didn't miss the bait either, glancing up at him with unreadable optics, returning his gaze steadily. _What do you expect of me, Skyfire? To be buddy-buddy with you after all this time?_

Skyfire sighed, disappointment edging its way into his processor. "No, I suppose not. We've been separated by things that have drawn serious rivets in our friendship. I know that things will not return to the way they were once, I'm not that naive. But I suppose I hoped that we could at least call each other friend again." Starscream did not reply to that. Instead, he simply sat, optics vacant and distant as if he were lost in the past, reliving the moments spent with Skyfire before the war had torn them apart. Skyfire honestly didn't expect anything out of him. While he hoped for some kind of closure, he knew that he had to stop living in the past and accept the reality of the present. This was made even more poignant by the fact that Starscream hadn't immediately scoffed at the idea and laughed in his face. Skyfire ran a thumb along the rim of his cube. "May I ask you a question that I'm sure you won't like answering?" Starscream glanced up briefly, holding his stare without looking away. "I never understood the choice you made to join the Decepticons. When I last saw you, science was the only passion you had. We had dreams of becoming prize-winning scientists respected across the universe. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine you would abandon it for war. You never liked conflict, you shied away from fights with the larger mechs. So please, enlighten me as to why you chose to abandon your lifelong dream and pursue such a dark path. Perhaps then I might be able to understand you."

For the briefest of moments, Skyfire spotted a flash of something indefinable, but definitely an emotion that broke through Starscream's careful countenance. His optics did not lift, but his grip tightened slightly on the cube in his hands. _Why do you wish to know such a thing?_ Came the careful response. _I thought you wanted nothing to do with me._

"Well you're here now, and it's a little hard to avoid the issue." Skyfire said quietly. "We can continue to dance around it, but I know it must be on your mind as well. We have never had the chance to speak, that little skirmish in the back alley of the docks didn't leave either of us with much to go on. We're both here now, and we have the time and the privacy to talk. I would like to know what could have possibly driven you to such extremes that I was unable to recognize you when we met that night." Skyfire kept watching him, refusing to back down on the issue. "Primus, Starscream. The world I left and the one I returned to are two completely different places. I know that. I know that horrible things must have happened while I was gone. But I still don't know what happened to you. And if anything good comes of what brought you here, I would like it to at least be that we were able to finally speak and come to an understanding. I don't have to agree with your reasons, and you don't have to try and convince anyone how tough you are. Just you and I with the truth."

The silence was nearly deafening. The small plink of water dripping from the ceiling where the hot steam had gathered in condensation was the only break in the silence, save for the distant thrum of the ventilation and the usual buzz of the lights. But it could have been the vacuum of space for as quiet as it was, and just as cold. The water was losing it's warmth, and the high-grade was nearly gone in both their cubes before Starscream finally answered him. _Things changed after you disappeared. Things started to happen. We never saw the signs because we were ignorant fools too blind to our world of experiments and expeditions to know any better. Things had been put in motion long before… we just never noticed. _

"I can believe that." Skyfire said quietly, earning himself a sharp and irritated glare from his friend.

_Do you want to hear what I have to say, or not?_

"Sorry." Skyfire said demurely, grabbing a fresh cube and handing one to Starscream before taking another himself. "Go on."

_I petitioned the Guild to lead a rescue team to go back for you._ Starscream continued in the same emotionless empty tone of voice. _I knew there could be a chance no one would find you if we didn't return soon, and so I pressed them to allow me to take a crew back. They denied my petition, citing that it was careless endangerment and I was at fault for taking unnecessary risks. They claimed there were not enough resources to spare to mount a rescue party._ Skyfire's optics widened at the news, and while he didn't dare interrupt, he felt indignation flood through him. The Science Guild was one of the most wealthy entities on all of Cybertron, and they couldn't spare any resources to rescue one of their own? Not only did he find that difficult to grasp, but rather suspicious. _When I refused to let the issue drop and leave the hall, they revoked my membership. _A shock of cold icy apprehension flooded down through his processor. Revoking a membership was a serious thing. It was never done lightly, and not to the key prize-winning scientist who had made countless discoveries since graduating the Academy. _They threw me out onto the street without so much as a severance._ Was the bitter response. _I was less than dirt to them, and they used my disgrace as a dumping ground for everything that was starting to go wrong… fabricated data, stolen supplies, forged work. They pinned everything on me. Not only did their ban disgrace me and put me out of a job, but it ensured that I would never be respected in the science community ever again. They gave me no quarter… and so I returned the favor._

Skyfire jolted. "What did you do?"

_I blew up the Guild._

Skyfire was floored. He stared at Starscream with a mix of disgust and horror, a cold sense gripping his spark. "Did… anyone…?"

_No. I did it in the middle of the night._ Starscream replied, a low sigh escaping his exhaust. _But it didn't matter. I might as well have murdered them all. It destroyed mega-cycles of work, relics that were irreplaceable, data that could never be reproduced. I destroyed the entire science community._

It was hard pressed for Skyfire to grasp just what his friend had done. "But… why? I understand why you would be angry, resentful even hateful after what you say they did to you… but to destroy the Guild…?"

_I spent all my credits getting slagged to the Pit._ Starscream grudgingly admitted. _I was furious… angry that their ill-conceived politics would stand in the way of rescuing a life… it wasn't right. I probably wouldn't have done it if I had been in my right mind… but I wasn't in my right mind at the time._

Skyfire rubbed his temple, trying to wrap his processor around what he was being told. "What did they do?"

_They issued a warrant for my head._ Was the simple reply. _They planned to lock me up where no one could remember me for the rest of my life. There was a very high bounty attached to it. But I didn't care…_ Starscream frowned. _I had nothing left to lose at that point… so I decided to return and look for you myself. _

Skyfire's optics widened. "On your own? Back to that death trap after what happened to me? What were you thinking!? You'd have been dragged down just as I, or worse smashed into the ice and permanently offlined yourself!"

_That was the basic idea._ Was the dry response. _I figured if I couldn't find you, then what was the point in returning anyway? I had no credits, no job, no life to return to with the bounty having been spread to all corners of the galaxy. I had nothing to lose by trying to free you on my own. _

Skyfire frowned. "Obviously it didn't work, though."

_No… I made it to the surface fine… I even managed to pinpoint the general area I thought you were… but no matter how much I blasted the ice, how much I dug and tore at it, the more I worked, the more it froze over…_ Starscream's story had taken on a distant and mournful tone, one that Skyfire felt he had no right in interrupting. _I would have probably gone into stasis-lock there trying to free you if my brothers hadn't come for me._ Skyfire sighed, lowering his gaze. Thundercracker and Skywarp had always resented Starscream's tendency towards the science arts. While the three were not brothers in the typical sense, they had been raised as such, being of the same mold they had been trained together since younglings, and had formed a tight if a bit unique bond between them. Skywarp and Thundercracker had always been good friends, and the two of them had always held a bit of animosity towards Starscream. But when trouble brewed, they would back each other up despite their differences. That's what brothers did, and that's what they continued to do, even now. _They brought me back to Cybertron… and we hid out while the dissention started. I don't remember much of what happened then… despite being without jobs we managed to scrape by, which included some ample supplies of high-grade which I consumed regularly. All I really remember from that time is a lot of hiding, running and stealing. The thefts started small, then got bigger, more wide-spread as more mechs lost their jobs and were forced onto the streets. Muggings, murders, vandalism… those things began to rise… we had to learn to fight for ourselves, protect ourselves from the others, defend ourselves from those trying to exploit us, and teach others that they couldn't mess with us. _Starscream seemed distant, lost in the darkness of his memories as the cube in his hand went untouched. _I don't know when it was, but the natural progression of things led us to join the Decepticons… We were angry about what was being done, that the Autobots weren't doing anything to help those of us forced out on the streets. They locked their high towers and kept us rabble out… energon supplies ran short, and we had to do what we had to do. The Decepticons were more organized than some of the other street gangs, and they had the best chance of getting fuel to their ranks… it was really the only option we had. Things just… continued from there._

Skyfire shuttered his optics, taking a deep breath to calm his jolted nerves. "I see. I'm sorry I was so harsh before… I had no idea how bad it really was. I suppose I should have expected something like that… but I didn't want to believe that there was any real strife… I heard different stories from the Autobots about how the dissenters blew up facilities, vandalized property and lead murdering rampages… that it was due to that the energon shortage came about, that the war started."

_It is perhaps that too. But that was the result, not the cause._ Starscream responded bitterly. _If they themselves had not been so greedy and elite in their philosophies, close-minded to the true problems going on around them, none of this would have happened. But the 'superiority' of the upper class corroded their logic circuits. _

"And I suppose you believed in the Decepticons' cause then?"

_It was just, at first._ Was the firm reply. _We wanted to fix things, make Cybertron the way it should have been, not hoards of elite keeping the profits to let the others squander in squalor. We thought that by overthrowing their broken system, we could implement a better one that would fix the problems._ He hesitated. _Only… it lasted far longer than we thought it would. Instead of a rebellion… it became a war. And through the cycles we eventually lost focus of our original goal… it became all about hate… about revenge… power and eradication. I don't think any of the recruits remembered what we had started fighting for, we were all so caught up in the bloodlust of battle that nothing else mattered… Megatron made sure of that when he saw to upgrading all his troops with the best gear, the best armor, the best systems upgrades… I never used to seek out violence… I did after that._

"Programming changes." Skyfire muttered. "I suppose it makes sense. The Autobots had to adapt as well to the war… It doesn't surprise me."

_You are fortunate to have missed it. _Starscream said bitterly. _It is like a vortex… it sucks in everyone equally no matter how much they fight to resist._

They sat in silence for an extended period of time, letting their drinks swiftly go to their heads as they consumed the intoxicant. While Skyfire was grateful that Starscream had answered some of his questions, it seemed to have left more questions behind in it's wake. Mostly, his thoughts revolved around the 'why's of the matter. Why had the council refused to let Starscream lead an expedition back to find him, why had Starscream overreacted upon being told this, and what on Cybertron had possessed him to come back on his own to dig him out with his own bare hands. And furthermore, this lead to the question of why then would this be so much trauma that his friend had given up his entire life, thrown it all away and not even tried to reclaim it. He of course had no idea being that he hadn't gone through this himself, and could not relate… still… the question bothered him. Even in his most wildest dreams he hadn't imagined that any mech would lose their composure so much to go completely stark mad. Not based on what he knew.

But then, there was a slight touch of madness to what Starscream did. There always had been.

As he studied him, however, another thought pinged his processor. Perhaps it was the high-grade talking, or perhaps it was just his wishful thinking, either way the thought did occur to him…. What if the reason behind all of this, the reason why Starscream had lost all reason, the reason he had gone berserk that day they had met up again… what if it was because after thinking his friend was gone, after losing him and going for hundreds of vorns thinking him dead, changing everything he was and going through so much…. What if there was one simple and most ridiculous answer for it all?

Skyfire's optics lifted minutely, studying his friend with a new light. Could it be possible, just possible…. That Starscream considered him more than just a friend? Could this explain why he had gone completely and utterly over the edge after losing him? Skyfire was floored at the thought. It seemed ridiculous, after all he had never noticed any affection directed his way, had he? But then, Starscream had never been one to SHOW affection… to anyone. Even those he was closest too, his trinemates and brothers, there had never been any outward show of affection from him. He cared, of course he did. But he never said so, nor showed anything to resemble the feelings that he must have carried within him. He had always been closed when it came to do with himself. Skyfire knew why, of course. Though he himself did not know much about Starscream's upbringing, he knew it had not been easy for the seeker. Most seekers had tough childhoods, raised by their own expected to be the elite of the elite, most with egos just as big. They weren't known for their kindness, nor for their family bonds. No, most sparklings who turned out to be seekers often were taken away from their families to be raised in group homes, in hopes of shaping them from their childhoods. Though Starscream had never spoken of it, Skyfire suspected this had been his life as well. He likely had not ever known who had even sired him, or if it had even been a mech or femme bond. From what Skyfire knew of Starscream's brothers, they too had similar stories. He himself was a rare exception among fliers, having been raised by familial unites that had cared for him until he had been ready to leave for his own education. But then, he was no seeker. The seeker class had been an experiment, and a rare one, that had been terminated after too many of them had turned out to be high-strung and unpredictable. Unfortunately, someone had managed to smuggle the schematics out of the testing facility at some point and thus the 'test' had been made public and had created a whole line of new mechs. They had still been rare, and these days sparklings themselves were rare enough anyway, he wondered idly if there would even BE any more seekers. All but the three brothers had been utterly wiped out, to his knowledge.

But there WAS the little one. Skyfire couldn't help but smile. Despite how it had been created, in an act of brutal violence and violation, it said much to him that Starscream had not simply refused to feed it and let it die. Instead, he had chosen to care for it, hide it, and give it life, however reluctant and probably repugnant he must have felt. That told him a few things about his friend: that he did care, and that somewhere inside there still existed a shred of decency about him.

A loud clang drew his attention immediately back to the present, and with a blink he noticed Starscream's head had collided with the back of the tub, his friends' optics offline and dark, the empty cube that had been in his hand floating in the water, empty. He couldn't help but smile a little, finishing off the last of his own with a sour expression. He kept forgetting that it took so much less for Starscream to become overcharged than he, due to his sheer size. Normally he was considered a lightweight, as only three or four cubes would do him in where others could hold their own, but Starscream had always been far more of a lightweight. It only took him one or two good cubes to go into stasis. Sighing, he stood, water gushing from his extremities as he did, the pool nearly half empty without the majority of his bulk in it. He bent over and scooped the limp form of his friend into his arms, marveling at how light and unresisting he was as he carefully stepped out of the pool. Starscream's head lolled against his chassis, his expression oddly peaceful and calm in his slumbering state. Skyfire carefully carried him through the hallway back into the rear chambers where his own recharge berth was, and set him down gently there, sitting beside him with a small sigh.

"What goes through your mind…?" He asked rhetorically, knowing he'd get no answer from his offline friend. "What I wouldn't give to know." He stood and made sure that everything was set, before returning back out into the bath chamber to recycle the water and purify it for his next use. After he finished cleaning, he staggered back to the lab, feeling the high-grade affecting him at last as he tried to judge the distance between his feet and the table and missed, stumbling into it with a grumble. "Dang it." He muttered.

A small beep startled him.

Blinking, he turned his head and saw the little sparkling standing a few inches away from him, it's white optics wide and curious as it peered at him. He smiled and lightly patted it on the head with a finger, his smile widening as it chirped at him, optics crinkling with cheer at the affection. "Aren't you cute." He mused, lightly scooping the sparkling into his palm, watching as it scrambled about and peered curiously at the residual liquid still pooling from his joints, poking at it with a coo. "Curious too, just like your dad." He mused, watching as it grabbed a handful of water, only to find it had slipped out of it's grasp. It immediately returned to the water, poking and studying it intently. Skyfire sighed, moving out of the lab, taking the little one with him. "I just hope that you inherit everything from him, and not the other of your creators." He peered critically at the small one, who regarded him with curious optics, unaware of his references. "No…" he mused smiling back at it. "I imagine you wouldn't have anything of Him in you, not considering who cared for you all that time." He smiled and tickled it's backside, which made it chatter at him cheerily, twitching at the attention. But it's optics flickered dimly at him as it settled down, and let out a small pining keen, looking up at him pleadingly. "I know, I know." He smiled kindly at it. "You're tired and you want your dad. Come on, let's join him. I think we all deserve some rest." He moved back into his cabin and closed the door firmly so the little one wouldn't sneak out on him, then moved over to his slumbering friend and placed the sparkling down on his chassis. The little one beeped happily, scrambled over Starscream's chest and curled up in a small niche in his body, right along one of his warm pump lines, before letting out a pleased warble and offlining it's optics, slipping into recharge. Skyfire smiled, watching the two sleep peacefully, finding it nostalgic and calming. "No matter what you've been through, there's still enough kindness in you to care for a new life." He murmured. "That has to say something." Moving to the corner, he positioned himself to sit where he was most comfortable. It didn't take long for him to slip into recharge.


	3. Chapter 3

What Darkness Brings

(A Complications of Life side story)

By: Nightelfcrawler

_Disclaimer: I do not own, merely covet adoringly._

_Authors' note: This is a prequel leading up to events in Complications of Life. You needn't read it first, they can be read in either order if you prefer. _

_**Warnings: This is a slash story, both with back history of violence and forcible M/M, as well as complications thereof and pursuant romance. You have been warned.**_

**Chapter Three**

He was aroused by a low groan somewhere off to the side, followed by a dull thump as something clattered to the ground. On-lining his optics groggily, he squinted through the gloom in time to see Starscream attempting to empty his tanks into the floor. He forced himself to sit up, and scooted closer, supporting his friend as he retched dry air, nothing in his tanks to get rid of, fortunately. "You had a good night." He commented dryly, smiling as Starscream shot an irritable glare his way. "What, you fell asleep in the pool just like that."

_And you still snore._ Came the wry reply. _Haven't you gotten that pump fixed yet?_

"Why?" Skyfire chuckled. "You were the only one bothered by it."

_Ugh._ Starscream grunted, shoving himself into a half-sitting position, leaning back against the wall as he sighed in frustration. His optics scanned the room briefly before he suddenly squirmed, and looked down to see a pair of bright violet optics staring up at him. He blinked in surprise.

"Look at that." Skyfire marveled as the little sparkling crawled out of his chassis. It wasn't the only change, he noticed. As it crawled out of it's sheltered space inside it's sire's body, he noticed small little flat nubs of metal had started growing on it's back, their shape very distinctive. He smiled. "Looks like it's going to be a flier." He mused. "It seems to have decided it wants to be like you, I think."

Starscream scooped the little one up in his palms, staring at it with unhidden curiosity as he studied the small nubs on it's back. They were far too tiny to tell what kind of build it was choosing, but Skyfire was right, it's optics had changed to become the exact same shade as it's sire's, and the way the nubs were forming it looked similar in shape to a seeker's distinctly triangular wings. It peered up at him with clear intelligence, studying him in silence before it let out a long complex stream of warbles and chirps. Starscream blinked, obviously a little surprised, before looking up at Skyfire. "What did it say?" he asked, curiously. The strange sparkling language was almost always only decipherable by the creator, as the sparkling's thought processes closely linked to that of it's sire.

_I'm not quite sure._ Starscream finally admitted. _It seems to think we both are strange looking. _

"Well…" Skyfire started, only to be shot a sharp look from his friend. He smiled. "You need to give it a primary name. We can't keep calling him 'it' all the time."

_True._ Came the reluctant reply. Most mechs were given a primary name at birth, and as they matured and their skills or personalities developed, their secondary name was assigned. Usually fliers were given common surnames, Star, Sky, Sun, any of the heavenly bodies. In many mechs cases, their skills would develop in puberty, granting them a natural second name. Skyfire had always found this amusing, as his second name said nothing about himself. He was not spunky or rebellious, and he had no special skill, unlike Skywarp or Thundercracker, or even Starscream who actually DID have a unique talent that had earned him his name… but it wasn't something he was particularly proud of. He had always resented it. Like Thundercracker, he had the ability to manipulate the world around him by using a weapon of his own skill, that had become part of his programming early on. A shriek from his modulating vocal processor would shatter audio receptors, glass, and even deafen someone if he ignited it close-range. He had seen him use it only in desperate situations, such as being locked up in a tight space during their academy years by a few thugs that had thought he was easy pickings. Upon graduating the thugs STILL had to be yelled at for them to hear anything, and the locker they had stuffed him in had to be completely torn out as it had been melted on all sides during the explosion. Still, Starscream had always resented his name, as much teasing had developed from it. The Screamer, Screaming one… the list went on, and Starscream hadn't exactly given them a reason not to use the nicknames, as his voice usually DID get shrill and harsh when he was upset. It hadn't helped that his vocalizer had been nearly melted when he'd been young, resulting in his infamous scratchy and hoarse voice. Skyfire sighed, glancing over at the mech watching as he studied his sparkling, feeling somewhat sad that he didn't even have that anymore. He was as silent as he would ever be, and it wasn't natural… not for him.

"Come on, we should refuel." Skyfire grunted, pushing himself up to his feet and offering a hand down to his friend. "Then I can start reforming your armor and re-attaching it."

Starscream took his hand, pulling himself up as the sparkling tittered cheekily, grabbing onto his shoulder and perching there. He lightly patted the sparkling, and got chattered at crossly for his trouble. He nodded to his partner, and with his assistance, stumbled into the lab and seated himself with some relief on the table as Skyfire handed him a full cube and a smaller one for the sparkling which Starscream subsequently handed to it. It was consumed greedily, as he sipped his own mean slower. _I didn't do anything… incriminating last night, did I?_ Came a sudden question.

"Er… no." Skyfire said after a moment's thought. "We talked, but that's about it. Actually…" He leaned back in his chair, drinking his energon slowly. "You were more open than I expected. I'm glad you could finally share things with me."

Starscream winced a little, his optics searching as he obviously didn't remember what had been discussed right away, and had to think on it. Once he was certain Skyfire wasn't hiding any embarrassing truths from him, he nodded slightly, rubbing his head to relieve the pounding in his processor. _As long as I didn't embarrass myself._

"You didn't, don't worry." Skyfire reassured. They were silent for a while, listening to the hum of the lights as they partook in their breakfasts. "Starscream…" he finally spoke, causing the mech in question to glance up. "What do you plan to do once I finish your repairs?"

Starscream blinked at him, then averted his optics abruptly. _I am not sure._ Came the muted response. _Wherever I go, unless I take care to disguise myself, I will be recognized._

"I can make your armor different so that won't happen." Skyfire admitted. "You'd have to take another alt, but I could do it. We could ensure no one would recognize you. A few extra parts, a new paint job… besides you're 'dead' to everyone, no one will know." He studied him carefully. "But the question is, are you going to return and try and finish what you started?" Starscream looked up at him sharply. "It has to be asked." He sighed, apologetically shrugging at him. "I'm worried about you. Your brothers are worried about you, they wanted me to make sure you didn't go back seeking revenge."

Starscream sighed, dropping his empty cube on the table next to him and shaking his head. _No… I can promise you I have no desire to face him again._ He sent dimly. _As much as I would like to crush his spark chamber between my own fingers…_ He trailed off and sighed. _He was too powerful before… now he is invincible._

A cold shiver ran down Skyfire's back as a sense of foreboding flooded through him. "What do you mean?"

Starscream lifted his optics, their violet gaze turning dark. _You always wanted to know why my spark was different. So did I. Well… I found out what makes it different._

Skyfire stiffened, alarm spreading through him. "What did you discover?"

_I cannot die._

A chill ran down his back, shock flooding his processor. "What?" he squeezed out.

_Megatron discovered it swiftly._ Came the controlled response. _The first time he killed me, he thought it was over… but he discovered my spark had not extinguished, despite having been delivered a fatal blow that made my body lose all function. He then discovered the joy of fixing me… to kill me all over again. _Starscream shuddered suddenly. _It happened again and again… he would tell me in detail what he had done, when I didn't remember it. After a while… I just wanted him to get it over with and kill me… I welcomed the darkness. _He offlined his optics, grimacing. _I have never been willingly suicidal until that day… I begged for death… he granted it to me… but it was pointless, as I would live again the moment he fixed my body. No matter what he tried to do… even a fusion cannon to the spark chamber didn't work. He told me in detail how fascinating it was to watch my spark glow, despite a blast that should have melted it._ Starscream shuddered again, drawing his legs closer to his chest, staring emptily at the ground. _And then… he did the worst thing he could have done…_

Skyfire reached out and put a hand comfortingly on his friend's small shoulders, glad that he didn't pull away. "Star…" He whispered softly. "I am sorry. I truly am… This should not have happened to anyone… It completely floors me to think that he would be capable of something this heinous."

_He did it for a reason._ Starscream said suddenly, his optics hard as they lifted to meet his friend's. _He's not stupid enough to weaken himself by tying to another. Even he would not willingly have gone that far without a purpose._

Skyfire froze. "What do you mean?"

Starscream lifted his gaze, staring intently at him with a sudden intensity. _By linking himself to me… he makes himself invulnerable. My spark cannot be extinguished, and as a result, neither can his._

Skyfire felt his processor short out, as for a moment his vision flickered as the shock hit him full force. "Primus…" he whispered, when finally his system had rebooted enough to allow speech. "Are you saying he… bonded himself to you?"

Starscream averted his gaze, shame reflecting sharply on his features. _As I said… he had his purpose. With this, he can not be killed so long as I live. And seeing as I cannot die…_

Skyfire felt rage flooding through his system as he surged to his feet. He couldn't see straight as fury overwhelmed his system, driving him into a sudden black-out of madness. He never before had felt such indignation, such hatred for another being. He was a pacifist, and abhorred war and everything to do with it, yet in this moment, he longed to strangle Megtron himself and sought to crush his spark chamber in his own very fist. Yet he was unable to stop the torrential burst of utter revulsion that swept through him, gripping him like a vise, choking the life out of him.

It was only when he heard a sudden high-pitched keening wail that he finally brought himself out of the rage, only to find that he had Starscream pushed up against the wall, his feet dangling, his optics wide with panic, the little sparkling screaming it's fear as it clutched tightly to it's sire. Shock flooded through him as he stared into Starscream's face, his friend's expression of terror sent guilt washing through him immediately. "I…I'm so sorry." He gasped, quickly releasing his tight hold. Starscream crumbled to the floor unsupported, and Skyfire instantly knelt beside him, concern and guilt washing through him as his friend rubbed at his neck, small tremors running through his body. "Starscream…."

_No._ Was the terse reply as a hand came up, stopping him from approaching. _Just…go._

"I can't do that." Skyfire said softly, not making any attempt to touch him, wincing at the sparklings keening wail. "I'm so sorry… I … I just felt…"

_I know._ Was the quiet response, surprising Skyfire as he regarded his friend, guilt still nagging at him as the realization of what he'd nearly done pulled at his spark.

"Primus… I'm sorry." Skyfire mumbled, letting his face fall into his hands. "I'm so sorry. I've never lost control like that before…"

_And you did for me? _Was the quiet question in his thoughts. _I'm touched._ There was absolutely no sense of mocking in his tone, but rather genuine open gratitude. Starscream lifted his gaze, and while it still held a frightened edge to it, his quaking had stopped, and he had gathered the sparkling into his hands, and was gently stroking it's back, trying to calm it.

"I'm sorry." Skyfire murmured again, shuttering his optics as he grimaced. "But the realization of what he did, and WHY he did it… No one… no one should be that… that…." He grimaced again, unable to find words fitting enough to utter. "I just… I mean…" He shook his head in silence.

Starscream was silent, the sobbing of the sparkling easing a little as he calmed it. _Thank you._ He suddenly said, surprising Skyfire.

"What?" Skyfire asked, still shaken. "Why would you thank me for nearly killing you!"

_Because…_ Came the quiet reply. _To know that you care that deeply…_ He abruptly paused, his optics averting quickly.

Skyfire felt his spark surge within him as the implications of his earlier suspicions itched in his processors. He stared at the mech across from him, feeing a strange surge of mixed emotions flood him. And then… he did something that he perhaps shouldn't have. He reached forward and lightly caught Starscream's chin with his strong hand, lifting it so that he forced his friend to meet his gaze. For a moment, they stared at each other, both frozen in place as they regarded each other in complete silence. And then, Skyfire moved swiftly, afraid his courage would break if he hesitated and gently pushed his lips against Starscream's own, not insistent in case he rejected the move, but firm enough to show how exactly he felt. It was a silly gesture perhaps, but his spark was pounding so hard within his chest, he could barely hear anything around him. At first, he felt Starscream tense against him, obviously taken by surprise at the contact, and he was afraid he might pull away, intimidated or frightened by the contact. But after a moment, he felt him relax and then tentatively return the pressure.

It could not last long, and Skyfire finally broke contact, pulling back and gasping for breath, startled at his bold move, and afraid to meet optics with Starscream. His processor was whirling as he tried to figure out what he'd been thinking, mentally cursing himself for taking advantage of someone in such a compromising situation. Starscream had just escaped the most harrowing and traumatic part of his life, he could NOT have picked a worse time for this, and guilt immediately plagued him. Hesitantly, he glanced over at Starscream. If he feared what his friend might have thought, he should not have worried. Starscream was sitting there with a rather dazed expression on his face, optics unfocused, seeming to be utterly lost for words. Skyfire immediately groaned. "Starscream… I am so sorry… I don't know what came over me… I should not have done that…I…"

_Shut up._ Came the sudden reply. Skyfire cringed and looked up at his friend, then froze, startled to see Starscream staring back at him with a mix of surprise and respect, not a shred of anger. _Why did you do that?_

"I'm sorry…" Skyfire sputtered again. "Honestly, I don't know why… I just… I don't know, I know I shouldn't have…" But he was abruptly silenced by strong pressure against his lips as Starscream leaned into him, shutting him up quickly as he kissed him fiercely, one hand grabbing his shoulder and practically yanking him forward. Taken by surprise, Skyfire managed to relax into it, his processor whirling as their dispute slipped away into silence as the contact sent trickles of electricity into his spark as the realization of what this meant spun around his head wildly. Yet, it oddly did not seem to bother him. He felt the problems of the day slipping away as their kiss lingered, lost in their own personal revelations.

At last, Starscream pulled back, having to gasp for breath himself as his vents stuttered on, sending him sagging against the bulkhead, and making Skyfire sag back against the table, head spinning. Neither of them said a thing, not daring break the tension in the room. However, Skyfire felt less ill at ease, especially when he risked a glance over at Starscream, only to find him staring back with mischievous optics. "You…" Skyfire sputtered. "Enjoyed that."

_Yes, I did._

Skyfire let his head thunk back against the table heavily. "And here I thought you would be horrified…."

_Surprised, yes… horrified, hardly._ Came the amused response, and Skyfire watched with a jealous expression as Starscream lightly licked his lips, obviously enjoying taunting him. _What fragging took you so long?_

Skyfire blinked. "Excuse me?"

_Primus, Skyfire… you are as dense as a bulkhead. I dropped so many hints to you during our apprenticeship… yet your head was as thick as titanium._

Skyfire felt warmth flooding his heat sinks as suddenly, everything fell into place. "Dear Primus." He gulped. "You mean that night…"

_I practically forced myself on you._ Starscream snorted, fixing him with a stare. _And you STILL didn't get it. I gave up after that. I figured you just weren't interested._ He averted his optics then, his words turning more serious. _But… it didn't change how I felt._

Skyfire grimaced, letting his face sink into his hand again. "Ugh…" He moaned. "So the reason you came back for me… the reason you threw away your whole life…?"

_Uh huh._ Was the flat response.

Skyfire felt his coolant fans kick in as embarrassment flooded him. "Oops."

Starscream merely smirked, his shoulders shaking in silent laughter as a wide grin settled over his face, and for the first time since Skyfire had seen his friend again, he saw joy free of pain on his face, optics laughing with unhidden amusement, no sign of grief or the haunted expression that had lingered in his optics for so long. _Oops?_ He mocked. _That's all you have to say?_

"Um… sorry?" Skyfire gulped, feeling the heat building up around him, his fans whirling wildly, much to his embarrassment. "I suppose I AM rather slow…"

_Only a bit._

Skyfire sighed, shaking his head, flustered by his embarrassment. "So… you're ok with this then? Even after…"

_Primus, Skyfire…_ Came the wry reply. _There is a very large difference between what was forced upon me and what I choose. Do not make the mistake of confusing the two._

"Right." Skyfire said, smiling rather nervously. "Sorry. You know me… I'm not very good at er… this kind of stuff."

_You do not give yourself enough credit._ Starscream mused. _I thought that was quite well done._

Skyfire surged to his feet, trying to hide his flustered feelings by trying to distract himself. "Ahem… erm… we should really get to work…" Starscream fixed him with a knowing look, but accepted his hand as he helped him to his feet, the little sparkling now having calmed down to stare warily up at him, still freshly remembering what he had nearly done to it's sire, not as easy to forgive, as it had no clue of the two full-grown mechs' connections. Skyfire let Starscream seat himself back on the table, making himself comfortable as he himself reached for a few of the armor pieces laying on the ground. He could FEEL the stare boring down into the back of his head as he picked the right shape he needed and pulled out the hammer and began to heat up his iron. He gave the mech a precursory glance, noting Starscream's keen expression as he watched. "I ah… thought you might like to have something closer to your old build back… I'm not the best craftsman, but I think I can do a decent job. It might not hold up to a full assault, but it won't look hideous at least." He worked hard to shape the pieces, and the entire time they didn't speak. But as he finally had a good pile of armor set aside, finally Starscream broke the silence.

_You're avoiding the issue._

He winced. "Yes… I suppose so." He sat down, delivering a few quick blows to the armor piece, turning it's shape and hammering out the weak spots. "I just… gah… I'm not sure how to approach this."

_How about telling me what you are thinking… and how you feel. _

Skyfire hesitated, his hammer lowering as he forced himself to meet the violet stare. "I…I don't know how I feel, Star." He said quietly. "I'm… relieved that you're not angry at me… but I'm a bit… confused otherwise." He sighed, setting the tool down and weaving his hands together as he leaned on his knees. "I mean… I didn't even know I wanted to do that until I did it."

Starscream regarded him calmly, violet optics calculating as he watched his friend struggle with his own feelings. _You never once thought of me in that way before?_

Skyfire felt his fans kick on again. "…well…" He said nervously, lifting his optics to stare back at Starscream, making the silver mech smile knowingly. "…yeah ok so I guess I did erm… have inappropriate thoughts now and then…" He sighed. "It was hard not to… I mean… I noticed you when we were first paired together." He felt his embarrassment heighten as he caught a smirk from his partner. "How could I not. You were beautiful." He blurted out, then winced at his revelation, and glanced at Starscream, seeing him grinning at him. "Don't you smirk at me. You knew you were." Starscream shrugged wordlessly, still amused. "It was hard not to admire your form. You were built sleek and seamless… next to you I felt bulky and awkward… And it wasn't just your build, it was your mind that drew me to you as well. You're brilliant, Star… always have been. You never let the others tell you otherwise, you proved them wrong at every turn, and you WERE right… you were the top of the class… the only reason you didn't get the awards was because the others didn't get along with you…. But you always were the smartest." He glanced up, returning Starscream's knowing look with a rather flustered one of his own. "I never thought that… I mean we were friends, good friends, and I was young. I wanted to prove myself to the science community just like you did… It never occurred to me… I mean, I wanted to focus on our work. So I was so distracted, I just didn't think like that."

_I noticed._ Starscream said dryly. _You always were rather naive._

"No argument there." He grinned awkwardly. "But… what about you?" He asked slowly. "Now that you told me… I understand a bit more what you must have gone through thinking I was dead…" The realization sunk into his processor sharply. No wonder Starscream had lost it… if he'd really cared that much for him… he must have felt like he was going insane with grief. "But… you must have eventually moved on?"

Starscream grimaced. _Eventually._ He admitted rather reluctantly, watching as Skyfire knelt to start attaching armor to his chassis, starting with the plates on his back. _Through hate, anger and basically forcing myself to forget everything that had happened. It was maddening to even linger on the issue, to think about it… eventually it just became easier not to…_ He seemed to trail off, thinking in silence as Skyfire worked. _It hurt too much to dwell on the past… I decided to lose myself into something that changed who I was entirely._

"So that's why." Skyfire murmured. "You changed so much… and it was partially my fault."

_No, it was not you who is at fault._ Starscream said firmly, voice resolute and insistent. _I did not react rationally, this much is true, but there was also little choice to do much else. I do not hold you responsible for what befell me… I hold myself responsible._

"Still." Skyfire mused softly. "It must have been… excruciatingly difficult when you saw me on the docks again… After so many years believing I was dead…"

Starscream squirmed, forcing Skyfire to clamp a hand down on his shoulder, holding him as he welded the armor piece on. _It was…disconcerting._ He admitted at last. _I thought it was a mistake, that I was seeing things. There had been times during drunken stupors where I thought I saw you, when you were not there. I thought perhaps I was glitching again…_

"So that's why you didn't recognize me at first…"

_I recognized you… I just thought I was glitching._ Starscream flinched as the screw bolted into place, holding the armor piece as Skyfire moved on to the next one. _But when I realized it was you… _He trailed off, sounding rather forlorn. _I wanted to flee at first… It was as if everything I knew had come to catch up with me, crashing down and destroying everything I had built to protect myself from the pain… Seeing you… I suddenly wondered where I had gone wrong… what had I done… _

Skyfire grimaced, lightly squeezing his friend's shoulder. "So that's why you nearly flew off…"

_I was a fool._ Starscream admitted reluctantly. _And behaved like one. By the time I realized what I had done, you were gone… and I had thrown away any chance of ever reconciling with you. I was shamed… and I felt as if everything was to swallow me whole then and there…. It was all I could do to flee before I did something I regretted._

"So that's why you left without killing me…."

_There was no way I could have done that._ Starscream said firmly. _I would have embarrassed myself with abject humiliation if I had stayed… I would have probably broken down there at your feet… I could not stay without losing myself. Though I was already lost._

Skyfire sighed, lightly tracing a cable in Starscream's neck, pinching at it and making him squirm a little as he tugged at the tension, trying to relax him. "I wish you had stayed… it made things worse between us."

_I know._ Starscream said reluctantly. _Can you forgive me for making that mistake? There are many things I regret… things I wish to atone for… I have been a blind fool for too long. _

He squeezed lightly again, watching as a shiver ran up the length of the cable into Starscream's head. "I think all we can do is put the past where it belongs… behind us. You have been through more than I can relate to… there is no way I will ever completely understand it. But if you can forgive me for not being there for you… forgive me for being an idiot and not realizing how you felt… then I can forgive you for being an idiot."

Starscream's head turned slightly, violet optics catching his own. _Deal._ He said quietly. There was sudden hesitation as their gazes remained locked, before suddenly Starscream whirled on him, ignoring the tool that went flying out of his hand as a result, and faced him with deadly serious optics. _Skyfire. Bond with me._

Skyfire blinked, shock flooding his system. "Uh…wha…?"

_Would you?_ Starscream demanded, optics intense and almost hopeful. _Would you be able to forgive me that much? Would you be able to look past my failings? Do you truly reciprocate my feelings on that level?_

Skyfire felt as if his head had suddenly turned to mush. He couldn't even think straight as he stared blankly back at Starscream, his spark surging wildly in his chamber, and he could FEEL the presence of Starscream's own spark surging in reaction to his closeness. "I… uh… I mean…Primus, Star…. Are you serious?"

_Very much so._

"But… what about…" Skyfire stuttered awkwardly. "I mean I know you didn't desire it… but that other bond still exists, right?"

Starscream flinched minutely. _Yes…_ He admitted grudgingly. _But I have heard that if such a bond is not consensual… that it can be masked by another. You would not be linked to him as I am, I would never put you in such a position._ Starscream said firmly, optics intense. _But in a case as this… a second bond can take away some of the control of the first… It cannot break it, but it can weaken it… Because I do not hold a strong link to him, only he to I…. Were this not the case, it would not be possible. _His hand reached out and grabbed Skyfire's shoulder, pulling him close so that their noses nearly touched. _Would you be willing to risk everything for me? Would you grant me that?_

Skyfire stared at Starscream with unhidden wonder. "You truly would desire me in that way? To bond with me… That's what you want? It's not just a way to mask the pain of your other bond? You're genuine about wanting… me?"

Starscream's gaze did not waver, nor did his voice. _Never. You are not a tool to be used. I love you, deeply._ He said firmly. _I always have… I just was too proud to admit it. Now that I know you share my feelings… being afraid to tell you seems so contrite._

Skyfire smiled slightly at that, and studied the mech with a serious expression. His spark within was beating a fast and rough cadence in his chest, eagerly urging him to accept the offer, but his logic circuits insisted on checking every angle. "So you are serious about being stuck with me for ever? You know that I'll be with you just as long as you exist if you do this…. It'll be you and I together, linked eternally. Is that what you really want?" Starscream simply fixed him with unblinking optics and nodded firmly. Skyfire felt his spark leap with joy. "Then… yes. I accept." He said quietly, reaching out and catching Starscream's hand in his. "I will be your bondmate."

The joy he saw reflected in Starscream's optics was enough to send his processor wheeling in madness. Before he knew what was happening, Starscream had launched himself at him, sparkling placed somewhere out of the way, and their lips were locked tightly in reflection of their passion. Skyfire's head reeled out of control, his spark began to burn a strong throbbing pulse in his chest as he felt Starscream's spark calling out to him, reaching out to him through the thin plating that barely protected it. It was maddening, far more so than usual, although Skyfire had never bonded or even lain with another in his life, aside from that one time they had done just this back in the academy. Starscream was insistent and bordering on the feral edge of raw lust as his fingers found perfect crevasses in Skyfire's armor, pulling them closer. There was a distracting buzz in his head, growing stronger and fiercer after a while, and driving him to clutch his partner tightly, desperate to hold onto the sudden sharp flood of warmth charging his systems. Starscream was wordless as he moved, unable to put vocalizations forth, and his mental voice was silent, as it took too much effort to focus long enough to send anything out through his comm. Instead, he tensed when Skyfire clung to him, pinching a cable and making him cringe as he realized he was nearly crushing him. "Sorry." He mumbled, only to be silenced again as Starscream covered his lips with his own. The small jolts of electricity were becoming more and more frequent, and after a moment, he felt Starscream's nimble fingers tearing at his armor, desperate to open his casing. He obliged, optics staring in fascination as Starscream's own brilliant spark was uncovered, glowing like a sun, the helix around it bold and moving faster than he'd ever seen it before, pulsing with the same frequency he felt his own spark pulse. They were synchronized, a definite sign that both of them strongly desired this bond. Unsynchronized sparks did not bond well, as Starscream knew. The unwilling participant did not link fully with the one demanding the bond, and thus non-consensual bonds were never as strong as consensual ones. He looked up at Starscream's face, and smiled seeing the pure longing need reflected back at him, desperation, desire, lust and yes… love. He smiled and gently cupped his partner's cheek with his large hand, smiling as Starscream shivered in pleasure at the simple touch. But then his optics onlined again, and with a gleeful sparkle, he wrapped his arms around Skyfire's shoulders and pulled them into a tight embrace.

It was unlike anything he had prepared himself for. The moment their sparks met, it was like fireworks exploding everywhere within his body and mind. Emotions, feelings, thoughts and desires all rushed through him in one torrential flood, mingling with his own as pure raw lust and pleasure sent him completely over the edge. Before his consciousness was lost, he did get a very serious look at some of the darkest corners of Starscream's experiences, things that he'd tried to hide back, but were completely open to his new mate. It was NOT pretty… and the overwhelming sense of pain and torment radiating out from those parts of his life was enough to put Skyfire into tears. But beyond that… he could FEEL Starscream's overwhelming joy and desire, his pure and raw love for the one friend who he had desperately tried to preserve in his mind as the one good influence in his life… the adoration and idolization of something he longed to be, but knew he could never become. It was humiliating to see himself in such a light, but also rewarding as he realized that he'd been a far stronger influence than he realized. The darkness was quickly overwhelmed with the light however, as their ecstasy merged with their consciousnesses. He wasn't aware whose scream he heard, but it occurred to him as his consciousness was beginning to fade, enveloped in the rapture, that it couldn't possibly have been Starscream…. But then, feeling his mate's consciousness mingling within his own, he wasn't even sure what he heard and what he thought anymore, before everything simply faded to black in one muddled fog.

He woke somewhat slowly, and the first thing he became aware of was a drowsy presence that was not his own mingling with his own thoughts. He onlined his optics and saw Starscream curled up on his chest, optics offline and a soft smile on his facial plates, looking completely content and happy. A small thrum of contentment resided in his spark, feeling his partner there happy and satisfied. Skyfire smiled and remained perfectly still, not wishing to disturb his slumbering mate. He felt good… he hadn't felt this good in, well since he could remember. Everything seemed to be in sharper focus around him, he felt rejuvenated, clear-minded and aware. He glanced down at Starscream again, seeing his spark pulsing gently within his chassis, plating not having retracted automatically, giving him a full view of the glorious gold spark he was now bonded to. It seemed brighter than before, pulsing gently, the double helix rotating around it slowly, twirling now and then as he watched. Curious, he cast his optics down at his own spark chamber, having to crane his head a bit to see inside at the odd angle they both were at. His optics widened in surprise as he saw his own blue spark pulsing gently, and around it was stamped the same double helix that Starscream possessed. It was just as strong as his mate's, and Skyfire had a strange feeling of weightlessness as the full impact of what that meant sunk in. He was bonded to an immortal spark… he too then was immortal. His tie to Starscream would sustain his life indefinitely, unless for whatever reason the bond was broken… and to break a bond was a very difficult thing to do, and usually required a death… but how did that work then if both mechs were unable to die? The thought danced cheerily around his processors, before the realization of one more thing hit him. What of Megatron then? He too was linked to Starscream, though not willingly on Starscream's part… the bond would not be as strong as theirs, but it still was a bond. And if Megatron were also unable to be killed, how then could they break that bond? The thought churned a path in his processors. Now that he was bonded to Starscream, he found himself extremely protective and jealous. He did NOT want to share him, especially with THAT abhorrent mech. He needed to find a way to break the bond chaining his mate down, if not to take down Megatron, merely due to the desire to free Starscream from the chains that enslaved him. There had to be a way to break that bond… there had to be.

He felt the grogginess of the second consciousness linked to him stir, and he immediately turned his attention away from those dark thoughts and back to the warmth of the brand new bond linking them. He watched with adoring optics as Starscream twitched and then onlined his optics lazily, blinking up at him as his face came into focus. "Hi." Skyfire said softly, smiling as he felt the bond stir with warmth and joy. "That was…quite something."

_Mmmhmmm._ Came the contented reply as Starscream lightly stretched almost like a cat might, settling himself comfortably back on his chest. _You're sure you've never done that before?_

"Uh yeah." Skyfire flushed. "Other than that one time with you before… I didn't exactly run into very many mechs I wanted to… ah… you know."

_Hmmm. I'll have to teach you a thing or two then._ Starscream practically purred with delight, optics twinkling down at him. _You really don't know what you're missing._

That made Skyfire choke up a bit. "Ugh… please don't hint at how many mechs you've been with. I'm sure you're more… active than I."

_There's little else to do in Decepticon down time._ Starscream replied wryly. _Trust me, it was out of sheer boredom and the need to satiate ourselves, not out of emotional attachment._

"Yeah… TMI." Skyfire groaned, rolling over much to Starscream's disappointment as he was dumped rather ungracefully onto the floor. "Where'd the sparkling go?" he asked suddenly, blinking around the room and seeing no little form anywhere.

Starscream lifted his head, optics roaming briefly, but flickering as he sought out the little one through the link they shared. _Interesting… how did it get out there?_ His puzzled emotions transmitted through the link, making Skyfire a little anxious. _It's in the recharge room…_

Both of them blinked at each other, and stared at the two closed doors. There was no way the sparkling could have slipped out of the room, the doors were far too heavy for it to push open. Together they rose and opened the door into the recharge bay, peering in. Sure enough, the little one sat on one of the births, looking bored stiff. The moment they peered in, it's violet optics brightened immediately and it jumped up chattering insistently at them angrily. They exchanged puzzled looks, but Starscream moved in to scoop it up. It squeaked in protest at him, rambling off a streak of incoherent gibberish. "Boy, he's furious at you." Skyfire muttered, smiling at the indignant sparkling. "He must have slipped through the door when we weren't looking…"

_Impossible._ Starscream said firmly. _I distinctly recall you shutting the door and starting work. And I know I placed it aside when we started… our romp. _

"Then how…?" Skyfire asked staring at the pouting little one.

_Dear Primus, if he sought fit to give it Warps' ability I am going to hang myself._

Skyfire blinked. "Oh dear." He muttered. "Well we can find out quickly enough. Bring it over here." He moved to the lab, and pulled out a remote scanner that he quickly programmed. Turning, he quickly ran the scan over the small figure, doing an intensive read-out of the little one's schematics. It wiggled a bit at the tingly feeling, but Starscream quieted it with a small word, watching expectantly as Skyfire uploaded the data into the main computer display. "Let's see…" They both studied the read-outs in silence, and after a moment Skyfire leaned back. "I'm not sure what to think. There's no solid warp field generator, but there is an anomalous reading here… and it's sending out pulses. It could be in development."

Starscream's shoulders sank, and Skyfire felt a groan filter through their link, despite the fact his mate wasn't broadcasting over the comm. _Just great… as if it's not being troublesome enough, add to it Warp's ability and we're going to have chaos._

"Calm down, there's no knowing if that's the case or not. For all we know, there's a hole in the wall it slipped through." He patted the little one, and got a glare for his efforts. "We'll just have to watch him closer."

The little one promptly hissed at him, and crawled up Starscream's arm, curling itself around his shoulder, glaring with wary violet optics at Skyfire. However, Starscream promptly flicked it's helm with his finger. _No._ He said firmly. _Do not do that to him. He cares about you, and he's very sorry for frightening you the other day._ His optics lifted sharply to Skyfire, as he nudged him through their bond.

"I am sorry." Skyfire said gently, smiling kindly down at the little one. "It won't happen again. I do care for your father, and would never hurt him or you. Do you forgive me?" The little one regarded him warily, but after a long moment, it's fierce scowl faded and it simply stuck it's tongue out of him and then promptly yawned in his face. Skyfire chuckled. "I hope that was a yes."

_I think it's all you're going to get._ Starscream smirked, patting it lightly on the head. _You're right… it's got a very familiar personality._

"Just what we need, two of you." Skyfire rolled his optics. "Come on… I think we both need fuel… again…. And I still need to work on installing that armor unless you enjoy being naked."

_Perish the thought._ Came the rather mischievous response coupled with a strong wave of emotions that made him stumble.

He shot an irritated glare at his partner. _S…stop that!_ He shot back feeling warmth rising to his heat sinks. _I need to focus! I can't do that with you teasing me._

_Fine._ Starscream pouted a little put off, though his optics twinkled mischievously. _Your loss._

The armor installation was not a fast process, but they did take breaks, frequent breaks at that, to further enhance their newfound bond. Skyfire thought the first time would be the best, but he quickly found it was NOTHING compared to what came later. He found, much to his explicit embarrassment, that Starscream was a GOD when it came to finding his sensitive spots. Not only was he experienced to know where his buttons were, but he found new ones that were unique only to him, sending him over the edge again and again even when he thought he had no more to give. Each time they were together, he learned more and more from his mate through their bond. He could feel Starscream trying to hold it back, knowing it was things that were foreign and unfamiliar to the normally peaceful mech, but Skyfire insisted on viewing it all just the same. He had to KNOW his mate, in and out, know his flaws, what he'd been through and what he regretted. It wasn't easy, in fact most of the time what he saw sent him out of the mood to do anything more. But he forced himself through it. In return, Starscream viewed his own experiences, though they were widely less interesting, they were just as poignant especially the parts in relation to himself. Together, they shared lifetime experiences, and were not frightened by what they saw. It was a pity, Skyfire reflected after one of their numerous bouts, that Starscream still didn't have quite the senses that he could exploit. Though he had managed to apply armor to his entire chest portion by now, the new armor was not as receptive to touch as it should be, given that he couldn't accurately calibrate it to the form they were using to disguise him. Still… he learned a thing or two that had Starscream panting and probably would have had the windows' shattered had he his voice. He was even able to scrounge up a pair of red optics, which though he felt violet suited the seeker better, Starscream had been VERY appreciative of his find.

Meanwhile, as they worked on restoring his armor, there was also some unique changes to the little sparkling as the days passed. Not only did the little one seem to be growing quickly into it's body, but it's colors were changing, it's form altering, and it's chosen figure becoming more and more distinct. Therefore, when at last Skyfire finished bolting on the last piece of armor onto Starscream's leg, they both breathed a sigh of relief, as the little one applauded enthusiastically to the side. "Thank you, little one." Skyfire said, smiling warmly as the small figure jumped into the air and soared towards him on unsteady wings. He caught it, and laughed, tossing it up into the air, watching as it stabilized itself and floated slowly back down. "You're catching on quickly. You'll be flying on your own in no time I think." The sparkling simply giggled, and gave him a knowing grin. Skyfire glanced over at Starscream, smiling as his friend's familiar face smiled back at him from beneath the newly fixed helm. It hid most of his face again, unfortunately, as the scar across his face would have been a dead giveaway if Megatron happened to see him. Skyfire regretted the necessity, but knew they had to be practical. "Have you thought of a name yet? Primus, it's been months and this little one NEEDS a name."

_I've thought about it._ Starscream admitted, leaning forward watching as the sparkling jumped up only to give short bursts from the tiny thrusters in it's heels. _But I may have to change what I picked._

"Why is that?" Skyfire asked curiously, poking the little one and getting a giggle in return.

_Because, Skyfire._ Starscream drawled lazily. _I do believe we've mistaken the gender of the little one._

"Eh?" Skyfire blinked, and immediate turned to stare at the sparkling. "You mean you think it's a femme?"

_Look at it, Skyfire… it's slim, curvy and likes to giggle. _

"Well so does Skywarp but…" He grinned at the glare shot his way. "Ok, ok… there's one way to find out." Skyfire smiled, and caught the little one, gently turning it over onto it's back. "Hold still… right like that…." He carefully took a tool and gently pried the small plating off to reveal the tiny spark beating within. What had been a gentle dirty glow before when Skyfire had rescued it from it's sire's casing was now a bright and brilliant amber color. He smiled gently and looked up at Starscream, optics twinkling. "You're right. She's a she."

_In that case…_ Starscream leaned forward and caught the little one in his hand, watching as she scrambled up his arm and perched cheerily on his head, swinging her tiny thrustered feet, her wings twitching proudly. _I believe a fitting name for her would be…_

He blinked as suddenly the little one vanished from his head and re-appeared giggling madly on top of Skyfire's head, swinging each foot with a 'plink' against his forehead. Skyfire sighed, smiling with a tired expression. "You're SURE she's not half Skywaps'?"

_Primus help anyone who sparks with him._ Starscream sighed.

"Thundercracker'd better watch out."

_No doubt._ Starscream blinked as the little one re-appeared without any poof, warp field, or warning, back on his head. _She will be nothing but trouble._

"No doubt." Skyfire smiled. "So… a name?"

_I think I've found one that fits her…._ He blinked as she vanished again, only to re-appear dangling upside-down from his wing.

"Oh? What then?"

_Eclipse._


End file.
